The Francestown Patriotic Purposes Committee has proposed a warrant article on the town’s 2025 ballot requesting the town adopt the All Veterans’ Tax Credit.

The Francestown Select Board discussed the issue at Monday night’s meeting.

“Right now, the Veterans’ Tax Credit is available to veterans who have served in a war or during a specific time period that was designated a conflict,” said Town Administrator Jamie Pike. “The All Veterans’ Tax Credit would be available to almost anyone who served over 90 days in the armed forces, with some specific exceptions.” 

The tax credit for eligible Francestown veterans would be $500. 

Pike explained that veterans who served between the end of the Vietnam War on May 7, 1975, through Aug. 2, 1990, are not eligible for the current credit, as the country was not officially engaged in a conflict at that time. Exceptions will be made for veterans who won an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or theater of operations service medal. In 20 years, Pike said he has denied fewer than five applicants.

Pike noted that any veteran who has served since Aug. 2, 1990, is also eligible for the current credit. 

“Apparently Congress never officially ended the Gulf War, so anyone who has served since then qualifies,” Pike said.

Select Board member Charlie Pyle asked if the Patriotic Purposes Committee could get a sense of how many people in town would be eligible for the credit. 

“I am fully in favor of the proposal, but we will need get a sense of the cost, because people will ask at Town Meeting,” Pyle said. 

Select Board Chair Scott Heath agreed that he supported the proposed warrant article in principle.

“We absolutely support honoring our veterans. We do need to get an idea of cost,” he said. 

Tax rate set for 2024

On Nov. 7, the Select Board set the town’s preliminary rate at $16.11 per $1,000 of taxable property value.  According to the Select Board minutes, the board then voted to use $19,358 of unassigned fund balance to offset uncollectible taxes and other refunds, resulting in a 2024 tax rate of  $16.06. The rate  is up from $15.19 for 2023, which was adjusted for revaluation, or an overall increase of 5.73%. State education tax went up from $1.07 from 98 cents, an increase of  9.18%. County taxes increased to 80 cents from 75 in 2023, an increase of 6.67%. The highest rate of increase was for ConVal at 7.35% to $9.79 per thousand, while the municipal (town) tax rate had the lowest rate at $4.40 per thousand. The town’s tax rate increased at a rate if 1.38% from $4.34 in 2023. 

After property revaluation in 2024, the average home in Francestown was valued at approximately $513,000, with a median  home price of $492,700. For 2023, the total property tax was $7,590.33. For 2024, it is $8,030, for a 5.73% increase.

For information about Francestown’s  2024 tax rate,  go to francestownnh.org/home/news/facts-behind-tax.