CHESTERFIELD, N.H. — The Board of Selectmen will discuss a number of pending issues at Wednesday night’s virtual summer meeting, including what a new assessment will mean for Chesterfield property owners.
Gary Winn, chairman of the board, said according to criteria set down in state statutes, Chesterfield is required to conduct a new assessment, even though one was conducted two years ago.
One of those benchmarks is the value of property on the open market and if it’s within 90 and 110 percent of recent sales for comparable properties.
“We are at 83.5 percent,” he said. “With the market the way it is, prices have gone crazy.”
However, said Winn, even though values will be going up and the tax rate will change, most people will not be paying more due to any reassessments.
The tax rate is set as how many dollars per thousand each property owner pays on their valuation.
“Overall, the average increase in valuation is about 16 percent,” he said.
Winn said the amount people pay to the town for general operations is determined when the Board of Selectmen present their annual budget at Town Meeting.
“Any increase in the budget over the previous year that’s not offset by other sources of income is what most directly affects any increase in taxes,” he said.
Winn said the assessors conducted a statistical reassessment and recently sent out letters to property owners, who can grieve their reassessment if they feel it’s not accurate.
“They have not had a lot of response at this point,” he said.
Winn also noted that due to the volatility of the housing market, the town could have another reassessment in the near future.
Winn said prices seem to be leveling off and they might even decrease.
Like most towns in New Hampshire, more than half of the taxes paid in Chesterfield go to educate the town’s children.
In Chesterfield, the total rate is $23.55 per thousand dollars of value, with $5.13 going to the town, $4.15 to the county, $11.37 for the local school tax and $1.96 to the state’s school tax fund, and 94 cents to the Chesterfield Fire Department.
In Spofford, the total rate is $23.90, the difference being $1.29 for the Spofford Fire Department.
Watershed Committee
At Wednesday’s meeting the board will also discuss establishing a Watershed Committee in response to land management concerns both around Spofford Lake and in Chesterfield, outside of the lake’s watershed. The board will establish a committee of five residents to review the town’s land use regulations, its zoning ordinance and the Spofford Lake District and then come back to the board with recommendations.
Only town residents will be given seats on the committee because any recommendations approved by the Board of Selectmen will need to go to registered voters for approval.
“Their recommendations may go beyond the lake watershed and have a town-wide impact,” said Winn. “The lake is not the only area which might benefit by rules to control erosion.”
Winn said the board hopes to balance the committee with a range of people with differing opinions about land management in Chesterfield and around the lake.
“They might be in favor of more regulation versus others who don’t want regulation at all,” he said.
In March, town voters said no by a vote of 608 to 242 to a steep slope ordinance that would have regulated the use of land around Spofford Lake. The main concerns voiced by those opposed to the ordinance included that it was too hasty and vague and that it affected people outside of the lake’s watershed.
Those interested in being considered for the new committee should indicate that interest before Sept. 1 via email to office@nhchesterfield.com
Chesterfield recently received just shy of $190,000 in pandemic relief funds.
Winn said the board will talk about the money and how it can be spent. He also said this is the first installment of funds.
“It can be used for things such as extra pay for essential workers and to help homeowners or renters who are facing financial difficulties,” he said.
As of May 1, the town has already received about $87,000 in COVID relief funds to offset costs related to the pandemic.
Uses of the money include for public health, negative economic impacts, services to disproportionally impacted communities, premium pay, infrastructure such as water, sewer and broadband, administrative expenses, and revenue replacement.
To view the summer meeting via Zoom, visit the Chesterfield website, click on the calendar where the link can be found.
The board will also be providing an update on the purchase and renovation of the Marsh House and the level of Spofford Lake.
