City tax rate falls to $13.91, but that's only half the payment calculation

LACONIA — The city's tax rate, set at $13.91 late last month by the state, is now the lowest it has been in recent history.

City Manager Kirk Beattie said tax bills are currently being sent out to city property owners, though he said those who wish to know sooner can use the new tax rate, combined with the recent valuation of city properties, to calculate how much they'll owe for property taxes.

The 2023 rate of $13.91 is almost a dollar lower than the previous rate of $14.85, which was itself the lowest rate since at least 1995, as far back as a chart on the city website tracks. The highest rate on that chart was in 1996, when the tax rate was set at $27.74.

Of the 2023 rate, both the portion for city expenses ($5.79) and local schools ($5.94) declined relative to the previous year, while the portion for county ($0.98) and state education ($1.20) increased.

Though the tax rate fell in comparison to the prior year, that's only half of the equation that determines how much a property owner pays in taxes. The other half is the value of the property, and a recent revaluation found that most properties increased in value. The combination of those two factors means that most tax bills will end up with an amount due that looks similar to last year's bill, likely slightly higher.