The Temple tax rate is set at $24.79 for 2023, a 17 cent decrease from the previous year.

With the new tax rate, a home valued at $300,000 in 2022 would have paid a total of $7,488 in taxes. The same home, if its valuation did not change, will pay a total of $7,437 in taxes, or a $51 savings.

During the Select Board meeting on Tuesday, board members voted to use $40,000 of the town’s unreserved fund balance, leaving the town’s portion of the rate level from last year. The motion to use the funds was put forward by Select Board member Ken Caisse, seconded by George Willard and approved unanimously.

Select Board Chair Bill Ezell said the board typically applies some amount of the fund balance toward the tax rate – though it did not in 2022. The $40,000 figure is the lowest amount the town has used at least since 2004, with it more common to use $100,000 or more. Ezell said the $40,000, though less than usually used, was enough to keep the municipal portion of the tax rate from increasing this year.

The municipal rate for Temple is set at $5.83 per $1,000 of value, which matches the municipal portion from 2022.

“We have kept the tax rate almost level,” Ezell said.

The county tax rate increased by 11 cents, going from $1.14 in 2022 to $1.25 in 2023. That increase was offset by a total decrease of 28 cents in the combined local and state education tax rates. The combined education taxes were $17.99 in 2022, compared to $17.71 this year.

Ben’s Maple Products receives permit

The board also voted to approve a conditional occupancy permit to the new building for Ben’s Maple Products, located at the intersection of Route 101 and Webster Highway.

The board voted to only allow the occupation of the storefront of the building. Owner Ben Fisk said it would take several more months to transfer all the needed equipment for the other operations of the building, but the storefront is ready for a soft open in the near future.

In addition to limiting the permit to the store portion of the 16,000-square-foot building, conditions of approval included that all state and local approvals and permits be obtained and that the project maintain its timeline for completion, including landscaping elements.

In other items, the board approved $1,000 from the town’s anniversary fund for various town projects. On recommendation from the Anniversary Committee, the board approved using $400 of the funds to support the Mansfield Library Spice Club, $300 for the Temple Elementary School’s Thanksgiving meal and up to $300 for a main tree for the town common. The board agreed to approve the expenditures unanimously.

Board members also discussed the possibility of at least one, and possibly two warrant articles in the spring to pay for storing the town’s maps in a geographic information system or GIS. Select Board members said the current maps are not always accurate, and were in agreement that using GIS would be beneficial for homeowners and the planning and zoning boards.

They discussed how to pay for implementing the system, and whether they should seek funding to do the project all at once or in stages. The board discussed the possibility of offering two warrant articles in March, one with the full price of the project, and one with a portion of the cost for a first stage, with the understanding that it would be a multi-year project, but did not take any official votes on the matter Tuesday.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.