The Maine Municipal Association recently interviewed the five candidates for governor.
Paul LePage, one of the candidates for governor, said that the state’s larger municipalities, including Lewiston, don’t use all of their excise tax receipts for road maintenance, and he alarmingly implied that some of the money is placed in a fund that is hidden from the taxpayers.
As mayor, I take strong exception to his claim. As to Lewiston, it is totally false. Moreover, it is irresponsible for LePage to make such a claim as to Lewiston’s budget, something he knows little or nothing about.
Our community depends on the excise tax for road paving, reconstruction, plowing, salting and general road maintenance. During the city’s last full budget year, more than $4,640,000 was spent on our streets, not including debt service payments associated with road reconstruction that could only be funded by borrowing. The city received slightly more than $3.75 million in excise tax revenue. This year, the City Council authorized borrowing $1.85 million to try to catch up on some of the backlog needed for street maintenance.
Interestingly, Mayor LePage extended his claim to his own city of Waterville.
Maybe things are done differently there and excise tax revenue isn’t spent on roads. If that’s the case, why hasn’t Waterville’s mayor fixed the problem?
LePage shouldn’t make random comments that he can’t defend. And Maine people ought to be skeptical about anyone running for governor who makes those kinds of irresponsible statements.
Laurent F. Gilbert Sr., Lewiston
Mayor of Lewiston
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