Alna property owners were in for a tax rate hike, but First Selectman Ed Pentaleri said in a phone interview Friday afternoon, July 21, the tax bills sent out this week showed a higher rate than the board agreed on. 

July 13, the board approved making the rate $21.45 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. Since 2020, the rate had been $18.95, according to Wiscasset Newspaper files. 

An email that went out on the town’s email list at 2:36 p.m. Friday stated, “We have just discovered that there is an error on the tax bills that were sent out earlier this week. We are in the process of determining what the source of the error is and how best to correct the error. We appreciate everyone's patience, and will advise as soon as we have more information to report.”

Another email on the town’s list came out at 3:03 p.m. Friday, from Deputy Town Clerk Lynette Eastman. “Please disregard the tax bill(s) that you will be receiving in the mail. There was an error on the mil rate. We will be correcting and sending new tax bills in the near future,” it read.

About two hours later, Pentaleri told Wiscasset Newspaper by phone, “We found the error. It occurred after our normal checks and balances” and, when the town office reopens Tuesday, July 25, officials will continue to work on corrective steps, he said.