Dear Friend,

My 2-year term as State Treasurer ends in January. Until then, I’ll continue to keep you informed as to how Maine state government spends your hard-earned tax dollars to serve and help Maine citizens.  Please share my Treasurer’s Blog with family, friends and co-workers, and click here to sign-up to receive them.  Call Treasury at 624-7477 to schedule a time for me to speak to your group about Maine’s pressing fiscal issues.  

The final numbers are in...

Next year, six new low-income housing projects in Maine will cost taxpayers 36% less than those completed this year.  This dramatic $71,000 saving per apartment will help fund the construction of an additional 144 affordable units!  That means another 144 vulnerable Maine families will have safe, warm homes that they can afford.

Good government is helping the most people with the least taxpayer dollars.   During the past year, the new Board of Commissioners at Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) has been working with the staff, developers, architects, and contractors to drive down the cost of affordable housing in order to help more at-risk Maine families while using fewer taxpayer dollars.  The result so far: $126,000 average cost per apartment in 2013 vs. $197,000 per unit in 2012 while complying with the same building standards.

The new MSHA Executive Director John Gallagher will lead a press conference at 2:00pm on Tuesday, December 18 (tomorrow) at the MSHA offices, 353 Water Street, Augusta.   John will explain how the stunning $10.2 million total saving was achieved, and what other initiatives are underway to help more disadvantaged Maine families with shrinking taxpayer dollars.  He will also answer questions about the ongoing audits by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the MSHA board.

As we celebrate Christmas and the Holiday Season, let us keep in our thoughts and prayers the victims and families of our fellow Americans in Newtown, Connecticut. 

Best wishes,

Bruce Poliquin
Maine State Treasurer

(Mr. Poliquin's comments are as State Treasurer, not as a Trustee of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.)

 

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