rochester

City of Rochester Announces Tax Rate Following Property Value Increases

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

City of Rochester Announces Tax Rate Following Property Value Increases

ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox reports that the Department of Revenue Administration has finalized this year’s tax rate following a significant rise in most property values in Rochester.

The tax rate for property taxes to be billed this December has been set at $24.90 per thousand dollars of property value, a $2.62 reduction from the prior year. This is the lowest tax rate the City has had since 2011. The reduced rate was partly caused by a rise in property values and also an increase in revenues collected by the City, such as Motor Vehicle Permit Fees, but does not necessarily mean residents will see a lower property tax bill, as City, County and local school budgets all rose this year.

“The increase we’ve seen in property values is a great indicator of positive growth in our City, and for that, we’re thrilled,” City Manager Cox said. “We have a lot of wonderful initiatives ongoing to foster a thriving economy in Rochester, and our property values, budget and tax rates reflect those efforts.”

The City’s Assessing Department recently completed its 2019 Full Statistical Revaluation of all City properties, which saw a median increase in property value of 15% citywide.

“All current and relevant market data was properly analyzed in the 2019 Full Statistical Revaluation in an effort to equitably appraise all real property to its full and fair market value,” said Deputy City Manager and Director of Finance and Administration Katie Ambrose. “The last full revaluation was completed in 2014. These numbers show us that property value in Rochester is largely increasing, which is consistent with recent real estate sales activity.”

Based on data from recent market sales, single family home values increased by a median of 17% and will see a property tax bill increase of $204 this year. The median assessed value of a single family home prior to the revaluation was $179,150 and would have received a 2018 tax bill totaling $4,930. However, after the revaluation the average single family home assessment has increased to $206,200 and will receive a 2019 tax bill of $5,134.

The City of Rochester aims to distribute tax bills before the holidays, and final 2019 tax bills will be mailed by Dec. 16 and are due 30 days from the mailing date.

Additional information on the 2019 Full Statistical Revaluation and a video explaining the role of assessors can be found at www.rochesternh.net/assessing.

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City of Rochester Announces 2020 Free Comic Book Festival Date

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

City of Rochester Announces 2020 Free Comic Book Festival Date

ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox is pleased to announce the date of next spring’s Free Comic Book Day events and citywide festival.

WHEN: 

Saturday, May 2 beginning at 10 a.m.

WHERE: 

Downtown Rochester

WHAT: 

Free Comic Book Day is recognized internationally each year on the first Saturday of May, and traditionally is a time when comic book stores provide free comic books to anyone who visits their shop. In Rochester, an annual citywide festival recognizes Free Comic Book Day, and is being organized this year by Jetpack Comics & Games, the City of Rochester, the Rochester Main Street Program and The Governor’s Inn.

More than 1,000 people attended last year’s Free Comic Book Day events.

“This event is a really great opportunity for families and children to celebrate the wonder and joy of reading comic books, and is also an exciting opportunity for people to discover and visit local businesses,” City Manager Cox said.

The Free Comic Book Day celebration in Rochester was started by Jetpack Comics & Games owner Ralph DiBernardo in 2007 as a way to engage local comic book enthusiasts and also to introduce comic books to more people as well, and as a result, various city groups and businesses have stepped forward to support and grow the initiative.

“Free Comic Book Day is an awesome concept, and it’s so much fun for local families and kids,” DiBernardo said. “For everyone that loves comic books, it’s a really special day where they get to celebrate the characters and storylines they love. For everyone else, it’s an opportunity to discover comic books, and also to get out, interact with the community and explore Rochester’s downtown. It’s been incredible to see the support the city has provided to grow this event, and we’re excited for this year’s festival.”

Families and visitors to the festival will be able to download a free downtown walking map at JetpackComics.com approximately two weeks before the festival. The map will include all participating businesses in the festival, where people will be encouraged to visit to collect free comic books. The online map is free, and hard copy maps will be available for purchase on the day of the festival. Groups will be encouraged to take one comic book from each business to allow more people to participate in the festivities.

Business employees will also sign scavenger hunt cards for groups that enter their shops, allowing those people to enter a free contest to win Jetpack Comics gift packages, including Free Comic Book Day memorabilia, gift cards and more.

For a fee, beginning at $150 for 750 comic books, Rochester businesses are invited to take part in the upcoming festival. The fee includes the cost of the comic books businesses will give away during the event, the businesses’ inclusion on the map for the event as well as all web and promotional costs.

For more information, businesses may contact Rochester Main Street at 603-330-3208 or visit Jetpack Comics & Games to pick up a registration form. Businesses are encouraged to sign up before January, and after the start of the new year the cost to participate as a business may rise.

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Rochester Economic Development Commission Partners with New Hampshire Small Business Development Center to Offer Advising Hours

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019

Media Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Rochester Economic Development Commission Partners with New Hampshire Small Business
Development Center to Offer Advising Hours

ROCHESTER – City Manager Blaine Cox is pleased to announce that the Rochester Economic Development Commission is partnering with the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center (NH SBDC) to further expand business advising services in Rochester.

NH SBDC will offer small business advising hours at Rochester City Hall Annex, located at 33 Wakefield St., on the second Wednesday of every month, beginning in December. These services will be confidential, individualized, professional and available at no cost to aspiring and existing business owners in Rochester.

NH SBDC’s certified business advisers consult with clients from all sectors and can provide advice on financing, improving operations, management infrastructure, business sustainability best practices, bringing new products to market or where to start in launching a new business.

“Attracting and retaining businesses is always a priority for our city,” Rochester Economic Development Specialist Jenn Marsh said. “We are very pleased to be partnering with the SBDC to offer these advising resources as an additional way to support our current and prospective small business owners.”

“Thank you to the Rochester Economic Development Commission for arranging a location for SBDC office hours,” NH SBDC State Director Liz Gray said. “By going directly into communities, the NH SBDC hopes to expand our reach and connect with more New Hampshire businesses and communities that need our support to create and sustain jobs, start new businesses, and grow and expand existing businesses.”

To schedule an appointment, please contact Krista at 603-862-5221 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit nhsbdc.org.

About the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the NH SBDC is an outreach program of the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics in conjunction with SBA, the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, the University of New Hampshire, and the private sector. A part of 63 SBDC programs nationwide, the NH SBDC was fully accredited in 2015 by the Association of Small Business Development Centers. Over the past 35 years, NH SBDC has advised or trained more than 96,000 New Hampshire entrepreneurs, helping them to start over 2,000 businesses and create more than 7,500 jobs.

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City of Rochester Grants $45,000 JOB Loan to Back Hill Brewery

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

City of Rochester Grants $45,000 JOB Loan to Back Hill Brewery

From left: Business Relationship Manager Corina Klein, Commercial Lender Tina Paulsen, Back Hill Beer Company Owners Laura Casadonte and Peter LaPlante and Rochester Economic Development Specialist Jenn Marsh. (Courtesy Photo City of Rochester)

ROCHESTER — Mayor Caroline McCarley and City Manager Blaine Cox are pleased to announce that the City of Rochester has awarded a $45,000 JOB Loan to support the launch of a local brewery.

Back Hill Beer Company is tentatively planning to open its doors in the Gonic Mill at 73 Pickering Road in January 2020. The brewery expects to bring several new jobs to the neighborhood and welcome customers from throughout the region.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Back Hill Beer Company to Rochester,” said City Economic Development Specialist Jenn Marsh. “This is an exciting step forward for our city’s economic development and will further enhance the opportunities available in Rochester for people to live, work and play.”

Back Hill Beer Company will offer a variety of beer on tap, but will focus on hop forward styles of beer. The brewery will also highlight the building’s unique industrial features while fostering a warm, inviting space for patrons. In addition to beer, a small menu of snacks will be offered.

The City officially presented the loan to Back Hill Brewery Company Owner Peter LaPlante on Tuesday, Oct. 1. LaPlante expects to add 6-8 jobs within the next two years.

“Rochester is a great city,” LaPlante said. “It is in a part of the state that my wife and I are drawn to: close to the ocean and the mountains. Everyone we have met in the city has been great, and you can tell that there is a ton of potential and the city is on the rise. On top of that, the makeup of the city is a great fit for a brewery of our size.”

The JOB Loan program, a low-interest loan incentive that allows businesses to borrow between $10,000-$75,000, supports local businesses located, expanding or relocating to the City of Rochester, including East Rochester and Gonic. The loan program is designed to support businesses that will create or retain permanent jobs in the area, with at least 51% of those new employment opportunities to be filled by low and moderate income persons in the city. The program is made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. For more information, click here. 

For more information about Back Hill Beer Company, visit www.backhillbeer.com. The latest updates will also be posted to the business’s Instagram account, @backhillbeer.

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