City Tax Rate Approved
October 23, 2009

                PORTSMOUTH – The New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration has approved the 2009 tax rate for Fiscal Year 2010 of $17.09 per $1,000 of valuation, City Manager John Bohenko announced Friday.

            The rate, which is for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2009, represents an increase of 11 cents, or less than 1%, over last year’s rate of $16.98.
           
The approved rate also is the same as was estimated during development of the City’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget approved by the City Council in June. The $84 million budget funds fire, police, school and municipal services for the fiscal year that began July 1.

“City departments and the City Council labored long and hard to hold the line on the tax rate, but were faced with increases at the Rockingham County level and the State’s actions to downshift costs to municipalities,” Bohenko said. “The primary reasons for the 11-cent increase are the substantial hike in Portsmouth’s share of the cost of Rockingham County services, elimination of State revenue to our city and the downshifting of other costs.” 

Bohenko said the total assessed value of the City of Portsmouth now exceeds $3.8 billion, an increase of $26 million from the previous year and a far slower pace of growth than in the past.

The newly approved rate will be reflected in the tax bills mailed by October 31, with the first half due on December 1 and the second half due June 1, 2010. Again this year, the City of Portsmouth is providing an online tax calculator for residents to use to estimate their tax bills now. The assessed values for Fiscal Year 2010 also are now available online. Both can be found at www.CityofPortsmouth.com/assessors/dbval/index.html.

            Property owners who wish to contest their assessments may request a review of the value by filing an abatement application with the Assessing Department. Applications must be filed by March 1, 2010, for any change to be reflected in the current tax bill. The Department will issue a response no later than July 1, 2010.  If property owners wish to appeal the Assessing Department’s decision, they can file with either the New Hampshire Board of Tax and Land Appeals, or Rockingham County Superior Court by September 1, 2010.

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