The amounts to be raised by taxes for Andover for 2015 add up to $5,093,965. This is a decrease over last year of $106,917 (2.1%). A small increase in the total town valuation for 2015 resulted in a decrease in the tax rate of 2.5%. The 2015 tax bill for a property valued at $200,000 will decrease by about $100.

The amounts of taxes to be raised for 2015 for the various components of Andover are shown in the table. The total Andover tax burden over the past five years has remained almost flat. 

Andover School Taxes

The 2015 annual School District Meeting voted a total appropriation of $4,774,465, up slightly from the previous year by $19,912 (0.4%).

An operating budget of $4,729,465 was approved. In addition, $10,000 was added to the Special Education Trust Fund to bring it up to the planned level of $75,000. Another $25,000 was added to the High School Tuition Trust Fund, bringing it up to a total of $50,000. Finally, $10,000 was approved to fund a study of alternate arrangements for student transportation.

Offsetting these appropriations was a very large unexpended fund balance of $459,757 at the end of the 2014-2015 school year, up 16% from the previous school year. The State Education Grant this year is $830,236, up about 5.5%. After accounting for other revenues, the amount to be raised by taxes for 2015 is $3,239,522, down 4.2% over the previous year.

The School tax rate for 2015 becomes $12.99 ($2.37 for the State component and $10.62 for the Town component). This is a decrease of 4.6% over the previous year.

Andover Town Taxes

The 2015 Andover Town Meeting voted to appropriate an operating budget of $1,478,648, up from the previous year by $92,317 or 6.7%. Funding was approved for $68,776 to lease a highway truck and purchase related equipment. Highway project funding, typically in the amount of $150,000, was omitted this year. Other capital reserve additions brought the total appropriation to $1,666,400, down from the previous year by $188,931 (-10.2%).

No accumulated fund surplus was used to offset taxes this year. After taking account of other revenues, the amount to be raised by taxes becomes $1,021,829, up from last year by $40,007 (4.1%).

The Town tax rate for 2015 is $4.07, up 3.8% over the previous year.

Fire Department Taxes

The total amount to be raised by taxes for the two Andover districts for 2015 is $123,460, nearly identical to the amount raised for 2014. The tax rates for 2015 remain the same as last year, $0.65 for Andover properties and $0.38 for East Andover properties.

County Taxes

The bill to Andover from Merrimack County for our share of the county’s 2015 budget is $709,154. This is down from 2014 by $5,391 (-0.8%). The tax rate for this year is $2.82 (-1.1%).