If the Maine Municipal Association’s early information is right, and the state actually attempts to appropriate the excise tax municipalities typically rely on as a source of revenue, we are going to join with every other community commentator, town official and taxpayer howling in protest.
We plan to hold our howl until the actual legislation comes down, if it comes at all. The concerns detailed in Dominik Lobkowicz’s story on Page 1 may be a sign of things to come or it may turn out to a big nothing-burger.
In any event, the MMA obviously feels concerned enough about the issue to poll and prepare its members.
It probably should go without saying, and sadly it doesn’t, that there is a big difference between talking tax reform and actual, honest-to-goodness tax reform. It is easy to talk a good game when all you’re doing is shifting the shells around. Reform is harder to accomplish when the needs don’t go away.
Real tax reform starts with being honest with ourselves. Do we citizens want the state to provide ‘X’-level of goods and services or not and if we do, who is and how are we going to pay for it?
The bottom line is municipalities are still going to have to cover any shortfall in their budgets and the absolute last resort for every financial need in this state stops at the door of the local property taxpayer.
Our local towns are getting into their budget preparations as they look ahead to their annual town meetings. We have yet to see this year’s final numbers but we’ll go out on a limb and guess that, across the board, the figures are likely to be just as spare as last year and the year before that and the year before that.
Pressed by years of recession and diminishing revenues, there is just not a lot of extra money flowing around. Our town officials know that better than anyone and our state Legislators better know it.
Enough, already.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul may help Paul keep his mil rate down, but it certainly isn’t a budget cut for Peter.
