BARRINGTON - Property tax rates are up this year, according to Town Administrator Doug Scruton.

Last month, the state Department of Revenue Administration set the overall tax rate at $21.46 per $1,000 of local valuation.

It is 68 cents - or 3.2 percent - greater than last year's rate of $20.78.

The tax rate is broken down as follows: $4.41 for town, $12.33 for local school, $2.21 for state schools, $2.51 for county.

Last year, tax rates were broken down as follows: $4.13 for the town, $11.93 for local schools, $2.28 for state schools and $2.44 for the county.

Scruton said part of the reason for the increase is because the town chose not to use the fund balance from last year's budget to help offset taxes, as officials have done in the past.

He added there was also a slight rise in personnel costs.

"Employees have gone for years without a raise," Scruton said, adding the step raises accounted for about 10 cents of the increase in the town rate while the fund balance was about 22 cents.

"We're trying to focus on providing quality services without raising costs," Scruton said.

The overall valuation of the town increased by $13,859,228 - or 1.5 percent - from $889,842,424 to $913,699,652.

"Most people will see an increase in their tax bill," Scruton said.