The Maine Legislature is totally missing the point.
While considering income tax cuts that would benefit higher incomes and lowering the sales tax to 5 per cent, legislators are handing property taxpayers the bill.
In Wilton, the proposed annual budget will increase by $303,711 (1.5 mills). It is unclear what the RSU 9 budget will cost but, as presented, there was an increase of $300,000 for Wilton.
The total increase of $600,000 is a 3-mill property tax hit. For our property, that amounts to $1,200 more in tax.
In the 11 years we have been in Wilton, our property taxes have increased by $5,000, or more than 200 percent.
I serve on the town Finance Committee. The budget we recommended increased expenses by $15,828 on a $3 million dollar municipal budget.
However, the Legislature has reduced municipal revenue sharing. Wilton receives $200,000. When fully funded, it was $425,000. Revenue sharing requires the state to “share” a percentage of sales and income tax.
The RSU 9 superintendent put it well: “The school district was put in a no-win situation when the state increased the educational mill rate to towns from 8.1 percent to 8.47 percent. That amount of increase on our towns was not realistic.”
My experience has been that municipal spending is appropriate to maintain services. That experience has also shown that legislators have continually shifted costs onto property taxpayers.
This is regressive taxation with no relation to ability to pay. It hits our vulnerable populations the hardest.
Irving Faunce, Wilton
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