Scarborough residents living on the shore have a variety of opinions regarding the town’s latest revaluation, which doubled their property values.

Some felt the new assessments were too high and unfair while others said they were being taxed based on the fair value of the property.

“The more you have the worse off you are,” said Richard Googins, who has seen the taxes on his Jones Creek Drive home increase by more than $1,000. “What’s the ocean got to do with it? I don’t see the ocean.”

The town recently completed revaluating the entire town, which increased overall property value by $1.2 billion to a total of $3.3 billion.

The reval, which is based on recent home sales, was done entirely in-house by the town assessor’s office. It is the second revaluation in four years. Overall, assessments in town increased between 40 and 133 percent.

The new assessments will lower the town’s tax rate to $11.30. However, if the town had not increased the values, the tax rate would have increased by 21 cents to $17.55.

According to Assessor Paul Lesperance, residents whose value increases by 53 percent or less would not pay any additional taxes this year.

Lesperance said he has not received many complaints regarding the new assessments. But Googins and some other residents said they plan on appealing their assessments.

Ellen and Carl Ivers bought their house on Jones Creek Drive about seven years ago and have been revalued three times. The latest assessment is $100,000 more than what a real estate agent told them their home was worth.

Ellen cannot see the ocean from her home, but can walk to it and last week she and her husband went to the beach to get some value for what they are paying, she said.

Other residents were not surprised by the bills and figure it is the price for living in a desirable area.

“You don’t like to pay the taxes,” said Dunefield Lane resident Frank Yattaw. “What are you going to do? It is representative of what the market is doing.”

Still the higher assessments and associated tax bills are gong to have a negative impact on some longtime residents, some feel.

Rodney Laughton, owner of the Breakers Inn at Higgins Beach, said there are longtime Higgins Beach residents living on a fixed income who have been there for years and will be driven out of their homes by the increasing taxes.

“It’s upsetting because it’s going to change the neighborhood,” he said.

Laughton, whose family purchased the Breakers in 1956, said the increasing taxes are not going to force him out of business, but they will require him to raise room rates.

That has its own consequences. If they go too high he may lose some business, as people opt to stay in other Scarborough lodgings that do not have to pay the same taxes.

Ocean Avenue resident Bob Hodgdon believes the town thinks that he and other beach property owners are cash cows. He also questions what types of service beach property owners get, especially when the area sends so few children to school.

“For many people here on this beach, it will force them to sell,” he said.

While most homeowners do not blame the town, which is only following state rules, they still think something should be done to protect longtime residents from escalating taxes.

Several said the state has to begin taking tax relief seriously and moving to do something to protect long time residents from being taxed out of their home simply because those around them are paying more and more for homes.

“If they wait much longer there won’t be much to protect,” said Kathy Kennedy, whose parents purchased her Ocean Street home in the 1940s.

Residents who disagree with the town’s assessments may contact the tax assessor. Additionally, residents have 185 days after being issued a tax bill to apply for an abatement. If that is denied, residents then may meet with the Board of Assessment and Appeals.

Lesperance said he expects more people to begin requesting meetings after the tax bills are mailed.