Cumberland County Tax rate set
Portland--According to County Manager Peter Crichton, the State of Maine Valuation for 2005 shows overall County increase of 14.5% valuation growth. Mr. Crichton said, "The tax distribution schedule [below] describes the amount of tax required from each municipality based on their equalized valuation to provide the revenue necessary for county operations. Previous year information is provided for comparison purposes. The tax calculation table at the bottom of the schedule shows the factors of expenditures revenues, and surplus used to calculate the amount of county property tax assessed on the real and personal property in each municipality."

Mr. Crichton explained that "The county tax assessment varies by each municipality, in spite of the fact the tax increase that was approved by the Commissioners represented a 1.5% tax increase.

The reason for this variation is due to the state valuation figures for each of the municipalities, and how they vary from one another. For example, in the case of Falmouth the valuation increased around 8% whereas the valuation increase for New Gloucester was more than 18%. Thus,the difference in the two tax assessments with Falmouth experiencing almost a 6% tax decrease and New Gloucester an almost 5% tax increase." Gray's Cumberland County Tax increase is 1.23% or a total of $393,465. New Gloucester's total is New Gloucester $200,414.

Republicans tap Al Austin for Commissioner post
Brunswick--On Thursday, February 3, 2005 at 8:00 p.m., the Cumberland County Republican Party elected Alfred L. Austin of Harpswell to be the next Cumberland County Commissioner of District 3.
The caucus was called by State Representative Kevin Glynn who serves as the Chairman of the Cumberland County Republican Party. The caucus was held in the multi-purpose room of the Brunswick High School.

Cumberland County Government has three (3) elected Cumberland County Commissioners. Commissioner District 3 includes the towns fourteen (14) towns in Cumberland County: Bridgton, Brunswick, Casco, Freeport, Gray, Harpswell, Harrison, Naples, New Gloucester, Pownal, Raymond, Sebago, Windham and Yarmouth. The vacancy in Cumberland County Commissioner District 3 was created in 2004 when Commissioner Gary E. Plummer of 248 Gray Road in Windham was elected to the Maine House of Representatives representing Maine House District 111 (Part of Windham). County Commissioner terms of office are four (4) years in length and Al Austin will be filling the un-expired term of office that ends in December 2006.

Maine State Law provides that the political party of the vacating member (in this case the Republican Party) elect the replacement County Commissioner candidate and the State Governor confirm the appointment. In these cases the Governor may only seat a County Commissioner who is chosen by the Republican Party. It is expected that Governor John Baldacci will confirm Al Austin's election sometime next week.

The election was a three (3) way race between Alfred Austin of Harpswell, Tom Bartell of Windham, and Debra Plummer of Casco. Two rounds of balloting took place until one candidate received the majority of votes cast. Following the selection of Al Austin, the full Republican Caucus endorsed Al Austin as their candidate and directed the Chairman to report their selection to the Governor.

Al Austin resides at 20 Field Road in Harpswell Maine. Austin is the President of CHR Realty (a local real estate company) located on Route One in Brunswick.