Wiscasset's tax rate is dropping by 3.5 percent this year to $16.40 for every thousand dollars of assessed valuation, or $1,640 on a $100,000 home. Selectmen set the rate Tuesday night.

The board unanimously agreed to tap surplus funds for $100,000 to help lower taxes. Without that $100,000, the tax rate still would have dropped by 2.35 percent, according to a handout at the Sept. 15 meeting.

Selectmen's Chairman Ben Rines Jr. called the 3.5 percent drop excellent. “I think the taxpayers deserve it, particularly after last year,” he said. In 2014, Wiscasset’s first year outside Regional School Unit 12, taxes hiked 4.6 percent.

Town Manager Marian Anderson attributed the lower tax rate to the hard work of department heads and the school department on this year's budgets; and about an $11 million dollar spurt in the tax base. The growth came from higher values on Central Maine Power property, Molnlycke's expansion of its plant on Twin Rivers Drive, a new NAPA store and other commercial developments, Anderson said.

This is Wiscasset’s first tax commitment since the town closed one of its three schools; school committee members have credited consolidation with helping drop the school budget by about $1 million.

This year’s tax rate does not take into account the $108,000 increase in state school aid over the state’s projections last spring. A promise from the state cannot be counted in until the town has received the money, Anderson said.

The $108,000 may be applied to next year’s taxes instead of this year’s, Anderson said. A warrant article voters approved before the funding amount was known in July did not specify which tax year an increase over projections would be applied to, she said.

Drone patrol idea: No takeoff

Wiscasset's clam flats will get no drone patrols this year. Shellfish committee member Dick Forrest ran the idea by selectmen, who suggested the committee ask for a drone in next year's budget.

A drone would run about $2,000, not counting the cost of training the warden to use it, Forrest said. If the selectmen supported it, the money could come out of this year's budget for seed clams and other costs, he said.

Forrest cited two incidents of clam poaching. Warden Jon Hentz does a good job, but also has other towns' flats to patrol, Forrest said. Brunswick uses drone patrols on its flats, he said.

Selectman David Cherry reiterated past statements that drones raise safety and privacy issues.

Rines said he would be more comfortable seeing a proposal go through the town's budget process. Taking it from the $10,000 approved for the committee this year would be a big deviation from that budget, he said.

Forrest said he would take the drone idea back to the committee to consider for the next budget. “We'll either present it or we don't. If we don't ... that means it's a dead issue,” he said.

Discussing appeals

Selectmen mulled what appeal avenue to give for any requests the town rejects for temporary business licenses on the town common. Rines opposed letting applicants go before the town's appeals board. They should have to go to court to appeal a decision, he said.

“I don't want to do anything to make it easy for the applicant. We are talking the town common, and I'm out to protect the town common,” Rines said.

Town Planner Jamel Torres said that, according to the Maine Municipal Association, other towns give applicants the appeals board option, but do not have to.

“Basically, it's up to you guys,” he said.

Other selectmen voiced support for offering applicants the appeals board option. A proposal with that option passed 3-1, with Cherry, Jeff Slack and Vice Chairman Judy Flanagan in favor of it and Rines opposed.

To take effect, the ordinance would need a public hearing and residents’ approval. Town officials discussed sending it to a June 2016 town vote.