Auburn Select Board Lowers Commercial Tax Split Factor to 1.08 for Fiscal 2026

AUBURN — November 10, 2025 — Auburn Select Board lowered its commercial-to-residential tax split factor from 1.09 to 1.08 for fiscal year 2026, passing 4-1 on a recast motion by Vice Chair Todd M. Kirrane. The board's maximum allowable levy for fiscal 2026 is $60,459,476, including a roughly $1.429 million debt exclusion, with the average single-family tax bill projected at $6,284 against a statewide average of $7,730. Chair Anne M. Cavanaugh cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing that commercial and industrial taxpayers would pay no more than in fiscal 2024 while residents absorb an average increase exceeding $200. The board unanimously renewed the small commercial tax exemption at its maximum 10 percent. A framework proposal from resident Eric Riches to activate underutilized town assets — including an empty kitchen at Eddie Pond — through an Economic Development and Industrial Corporation was referred to the Economic Development Committee, with Kirrane asking that all town meeting members be notified when it reaches the agenda.