5584-R1_NewGloucester_2017AnnualReport_Web

ANNUAL REPORT Town Manager – Letter of Transmittal Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017

To the Citizens of the Town of New Gloucester,

I wish to thank you for the opportunity to serve as your new Town Manager. I started in mid-May so my reflections on the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 are somewhat limited. I have been working hard at becoming acquainted with New Gloucester’s two largest projects; the ongoing work at the Fairgrounds and the proposed Public Works Garage and Sand/Salt Shed. I look forward to continuing the work on these projects as well as working into the future on many other projects and issues on your behalf. The town continues to have a stable financial position with a strong fund balance. I encourage you to read the auditor’s report in the following pages for details of town’s finances. You will be pleased to see that all the town’s departments stayed within their expenditure limitations. Additionally, some revenue lines report being above projections. If you have not yet done so, I would encourage you to apply for the Homestead Exemption. This year the exemption increased to $20,000. What this means for you is that $20,000 is subtracted from your home’s value prior to taxes being assessed. Please bear in mind that this paperwork must be completed and submitted to the assessor prior to April 1 for you to be eligible. While the Homestead Exemption is a benefit to the taxpayer, it is somewhat of a burden to the town. During the state’s budget process, it was decided to reimburse the town only 50 percent of the exemption amount instead of the 62.5 percent as was anticipated. What this means for you as taxpayers is the taxable value of property in New Gloucester has decreased and we are receiving less state reimbursement. Lastly, I want to thank all the town employees and department heads for their dedication and work for NewGloucester. I have found everyone to be an invaluable resource as I become familiar with the town and its’ policies and procedures.

Respectfully submitted,

Carrie Castonguay Town Manager

20