It seems as if many resident taxpayers had their assessments go up although the town's overall valuations remain roughly the same. Most of the increases appear to be in the valuation of land, not buildings.

We anticipate sharp increases in property taxes in the very near future. Chatham is already number one on Cape Cod in per capita spending for capital projects. If bonds are sold for the 38,000 square foot PD/Annex project ($17 million) and the sewer treatment plant upgrade ($50-$60 million) in this assessment period, debt outstanding will more than triple to about $100 million. (We had urged town officials to defer non-emergency capital projects until better economic times return, but they rejected that appeal.)

When debt service payment starts on these two projects, the cost of debt service on the property tax will go up more than 250% over what is in the budget for this fiscal year. So if you're paying $270 for debt service this year, expect the bill for debt service to be close to $700 when those payments start, if not more.

And, of course, we don't know what will be required for fiscal 2011 operations. CCT believes and so stated that the fiscal 2010 spending plan presented by town officials at the Annual Town Meeting was in substantial deficit, calling for spending $1 million, perhaps even more, than revenues expected to be received in fiscal 2010. CCT's call for fiscal prudence was ignored as compensation increases for public employees ranging as high as 6, 7 and 8% -- plus benefit increases -- were awarded. Almost all full-time town employees receive more in compensation than half the households in Chatham have income to live on.

So one should consider carefully whether to file for an abatement of assessment this time around.

The first real property tax bill to pay for fiscal 2010 will be going out in mid-December, we have been told. Abatement applications must be filed within 30 days thereafter.

Click on this link to obtain a copy of the Abatement Application form.