Pembroke voters to take up 14% tax rate increase, Memorial Park upgrades

Pembroke town voters will weigh an 14% increase to the town’s tax rate at their annual meeting.

The proposed operating budget, seeing increases from general staffing costs and highway and street spending, will rise about 3.5% to $12.2 million. That increase is expected to bring the town portion of the tax rate up 76 cents to $6.18 per thousand of assessed value. On a $400,000 home, that would translate to an additional $304 in taxes this year.

At the same time, expenses are going up while revenue is going down, leading to the proposed jump in the tax rate. Even at the higher amount, the town portion makes up just a quarter of a resident’s total tax bill, which includes school, county and state rates.

Also up for vote Saturday will be two capital projects aimed at basic fix-ups at Memorial Park: replacing a drainage line and shoring up the riverbank. Voters will take them up separately, but together they carry a cost ceiling of about $1.6 million, which would generally be bonded.

Separately, a long-mulled plan to build a new stage at the park using both a large donation and town reserves will need voter sign-off.

The town meeting will be held Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Pembroke Academy.

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