News
Tax
relief, agenda accuracy, and Pennell
Council takes up variety of issues
By Elizabeth Prata
The Legislators report-
Gray-- All three Legislators attended the Gray Town
Council meeting Tuesday night at the Council's request,
to report on the latest developments from Augusta
regarding tax relief proposals. Senator Karl Turner
said that LD 1, "An Act To Increase the State
Share of Education Costs, Reduce Property Taxes and
Reduce Government Spending at All Levels" really
has four parts, direct tax relief with enhancements
to the circuit breaker program and homestead exemption,
property evaluations, limitations to spending caps,
and "the part hat is getting the most attention,"
Turner said, rounding out the Essential Programs and
Services (EPS) funding model.
EPS is the funding model that specifically prescribes
how much each school department receives from the
state as aid. MSAD 15 would receive $15,184,126. The
local share of that would be $6,805,001, which is
an increase of $1,550,086 over last year.
His concern, Turner said, is that the procedure Governor
Baldacci proposes to fund this is to securitize future
lottery revenue streams, $250,000,000 over the next
ten years. "Not many Town managers would offer
a budget with this funding model, but the Governor
is doing it, with a one-time sale of lottery revenues."
Sen. Turner said, "In the short term it might
look OK but long term it raises questions."
The EPS funding itself is grounded in two items, the
evaluation of the community, and student population.
"If you are losing students there is no formula
that will help a community," Turner said.
Both Councilors Matthew Sturgis and Gary Foster expressed
concerns to Sen. Turner over the legislative offerings
that simply shift costs from one segment to another
rather than provide real relief.
Sen. Turner said that initially, the Governor ran
on a platform that he would not raise taxes, changing
that later to no major tax increases. "He is
trying to keep that pledge. There are three pockets
of State money- education, social services, and everything
else, to run state government. With Maine's social
service expenditures one of the top 5 or 6 nationally
and our income near the bottom, the Governor is forced
to do things like securitize lottery revenues."
Representative Austin said that the debates in Augusta
are flowing fast and furious and the EPS numbers may
change. Her opinion was that LD1 "is really a
bill to fund education. It is an education enhancer,
not a bill for tax relief."
Representative Mark Bryant said that as a Freshman
legislator he was impressed with how well the Joint
Committee had worked together to craft the tax relief
proposal.
Housekeeping: votes on licenses and Pennell--
In other business, the Council voted unanimously to
buy a forklift for the transfer station, to approve
a refuse hauler's license for J&T Waste Services,
and to approve the liquor license for China Village.
The Council voted 4-1 to amend the fee and fine schedule
by adding fees for the collection of universal waste
at the transfer Station, Mr. Foster opposed.
The Council also voted to affirm the directives given
to the Town manager and Town Attorney regarding the
Town's position on the Attorney General's opinion
letter. Council Chair Pam Wilkinson said that the
motion was to "affirm that we go forward with
a letter and to go forward to Superior Court."
At that point, Town Manager Mitchell A. Berkowitz
corrected Ms. Wilkinson and reminded her that it was
to go forward with determining who is the beneficiary
of the trust and to "authorize subsequent action."
Ms. Wilkinson amended her statement and the Council
voted 5-0.
Citizen comments--
During Non-Agenda items, Jim Monroe of Gray said that
the Pennell matter has "gone from interesting
to annoying, with all this apparent secrecy, options,
planning. There seems to be the perception- and perception
is all we have, because you haven't given us any information-
is that there is planning going on for Pennell in
other than in the public eye. You're not deceiving
us, you're ignoring us, and when you do that you lose
our trust. If you are not going to talk to us then
why should we trust you?" he said.
Mr. Monroe also had some questions of the Council
to the sidewalk project that was approved last year
but not expended. Again Mr. Berkowitz answered for
the Council and said that it was part of the Public
Works budget approved at town meeting and when the
engineering report came in with a ludicrously high
amount for the project it was obvious there wasn't
enough money set aside and the project wouldn't be
completed.
"Then maybe you should do the engineering before
the town meeting approval," Mr. Monroe said.
"Maybe next time we won't put it at Town meeting,"
Mr. Berkowitz retorted.
"And maybe next time you'll be unemployed,"
Mr. Monroe replied. "It works both ways."
Denise Duda of Gray asked the Council whether the
agendas published and posted were correct. She said
that the agendas state the Council will work on the
rezoning the last hour of their first Monday Workshop.
"I came to the last workshop early, just to be
there, and you talked about the rezoning the whole
first hour. Are you going to talk about the rezoning
whenever?"
Ms. Wilkinson answered that when the Council completes
business they will not wait 15 or 20 minutes to go
by before taking up the next item. "We will move
on," she said.
Ms. Duda also had a concern about whether the Council
took inappropriate action at their last executive
session and said that "we understand that there
is a gray area, and that it is a thin line. You're
working hard to walk that line, and we're trying hard
to let you." She offered the Council a copy of
the Maine Freedom of Access Act that describes how
and when meetings are to be posted and actions that
are allowable in executive session.
The Council, Manager along with the Library Trustees
went into executive session at 9:15 p.m. to discuss
property acquisition. The Council adjourned at 10:20
p.m. The executive session to review the Manager's
performance was postponed until the February 1 regular
meeting, due to the lateness of the hour.
