Selectboard

General Information

"Every town, at the annual meeting, shall choose, by ballot, one selectman to hold office for 3 years. The selectmen shall manage the prudential affairs of the town and perform the duties by law prescribed." - New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) Chapter 41 Section 8

The Selectboard is the executive branch of Town Government carrying out the policies, laws and warrant article decisions set forth by the voters at Town Meeting. Selectmen may exercise only those powers set forth by state law.

Langdon's Selectboard is made up of three members, each elected to a three year term. Each year, the board selects its Chairperson. Traditionally, the Chair has been the individual in the last year of their term.

About the Langdon Selectboard

Meeting Times: October through May every Monday at 7:00 p.m.
June through September First, Third & Fifth Monday at 7:00 p.m.

Office Hours: Monday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Administrative Assistant: Linda Christie 

We welcome the opportunity to talk with all the taxpayers in town, and hope that as issues arise we will be able to resolve them quickly and amicably for all involved parties. To that end, we welcome attendance at our meetings to discuss concerns and ideas. Please contact our office to be put on the meeting agenda should there be specific issues you would like to discuss.

The tax rate is $____  per every $1,000 in property value. 

The state of New Hampshire does offer some programs for low and moderate income property tax relief. For forms and other information about the program, please visit the DRA web site.

Property Tax Abatements

The Selectboard considers requests for property tax abatements and valuation adjustments after property owners complete the following steps:

1. First, property owners should consult the most recent Property Tax Commitment, which is available in the town office.
2. Procure and review a copy of the property card.
3. The property for which an abatement is being sought should be compared to all other like properties in town. This includes similar building size, age, acreage and location.
4. If the property owner can show that they are being unfairly taxed or are over assessed in comparison to similar properties, they should compile a list of those properties and petition to the Selectboard in writing for a hearing.
5. Plan to attend a meeting of the Selectboard to discuss the petition so that the board can ask questions and take any action deemed necessary.

Property Tax Exemptions and Credits

At the present time, Langdon only offers property tax credits for military service and service-related disability. The military service credit is $500, while the service-related disability is $2,400. Please visit the DRA web site to review information eligibility requirements and filing procedures. The deadline for applying for a military service credit is April 15th.

The town also offers elderly exemptions, which are applied based on age, income and assets. In order to qualify, applicants must fill out forms which the town will use to verify these factors. All applications are confidential and are available through the office. The income and asset restrictions as adopted by the town are as follows:

Income Assets
Single $20,000 Single $50,000
Married $27,000 Married $50,000

Property Revaluation

According to state law, the town is required to conduct property revaluations every five years. The next revaluation for Langdon will take place in 2011. As in 2006, the town will be undertaking a statistical update, with exterior visual inspection being done for all properties and all recent sales and business permits analyzed. This is in addition to the regular spring pick-up work that is done every spring to account for annual changes to properties.

At this time the Selectboard is looking into the possibility of hiring a full-time assessor whose services would be shared with other area towns. It is thought that by doing so the town may be able to reduce the costs associated with full-scale revaluations, since having an assessor on staff will result in ongoing assessment work on properties.

Current Use

Property owners seeking to have land put into current use are urged to familiarize themselves with law by reading the state's Current Use Booklet. The booklet spells out acreage requirements and what is involved in the application process. The application for current use is also available online. Please be aware that, like applications for credits and exemptions, forms are due in the office no later than April 15th.

Intent to Cut

Intent to Cut forms are available through the office and by calling the state. Please be aware that intents must be filed prior to logging beginning. Return completed forms to the office and allow enough time for the Selectboard to review and sign them before beginning your logging operation. Failure to fill out forms in their entirety, including information such as map and lot and phone numbers, may delay the Selectboard's review.

Once your intent has been filed, copies will be returned to you, the logger and to the state. The state's timber and gravel clerk will return a Report of Cut to either the property owner or the logger. This form must be filled out and returned to the town offices within 30 days of the logging operation concluding.

Langdon collects timber taxes based on the information on the Report of Cut. Please make sure that the information thereon is as accurate and as complete as possible. Once the town receives the report, it will assess taxes and issue a bill.

Failure to file a Report of Cut with the town may result in doomage being assessed. This means that that town will per state law estimate the amount of timber that was cut and then assess it at a rate two times higher than for timber where a report was appropriately filed. In some cases where paperwork is not filed in an appropriate or timely fashion, the state timber authority will visit properties and conduct inspections and stump counts. It is to every property owners benefit to file the reports as soon as operations conclude.

Intent to Excavate

Intent to Excavate forms are available through the office and by calling the state. As with timber intents, excavation intents must be filed prior to site work commencing. Please return your completed intents to the office with enough time given for the Selectboard to review them. Property owners may also need to meet with the Planning Board to discuss the town's regulations and gravel permitting process.

Langdon collects gravel taxes based on the information contained on the Report of Material Excavated. Property owners need to complete the report in a timely fashion and return it to the town office for processing, whereupon a tax bill will be generated.

Welfare and Other Assistance

Direct assistance is available through the town, though on a limited basis. Anyone seeking assistance should visit the office as there are required forms to fill out. As with all other information, applications for assistance are kept strictly confidential. Applicants should also know that assistance is available through other organizations. These include the following:

• Southwestern Community Services Offices in Keene and Claremont. Offers assistance for fuel, housing and other aid.
• StayWarmNH Offers fuel, electric and weatherization services. This program is available through the state Office of Energy & Planning
• Department of Health and Human Services This department administers the food stamp program and offers other programs on health and nutrition. Visit the department's main page for a list of other services provided.
• Fall Mountain Food Shelf and Friendly Meals The Fall Mountain Food Shelf operates out of Langdon's municipal facility at 122 NH Route 12A. It is open several days per week. Friendly Meals are served out of the Alstead Fire Station.

Other programs are available. Inquiries may be directed to the town office, where we will do our best to assist you.

Contact the Selectboard.