 |
|
Town of New Gloucester
385 Intervale Road, New Gloucester, ME 04260
(207) 926-4126 (phone) / (207) 926-4136 (fax)
|
Town of Poland
1231 Maine Street, Poland, ME 04274
(207) 998-4601 (phone) / (207) 998-2002 (fax)
|
|
 |
Committee Work
Public hearings for the Governor’s supplemental budget begin this week. My colleagues and I on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee will be receiving feedback from interested parties pertaining to the financial proposal.
To view a copy of the hearing schedule, click here. Related proceedings can be viewed online here.
State Treasurer Reduces Interest Rate on Delinquent Property Taxes to Lowest Range on Record
The State Treasurer announced that the interest rate charged on delinquent property taxes will be reduced to the lowest level on record in consideration of economic challenges associated with COVID-19. For taxable year 2021, the maximum interest rate that a municipality may charge for delinquent property taxes is no more than 6%. The office is declining an additional 3% penalty to the range, as is routine and allowed by Maine law.
Municipalities may vote to determine the rate of interest that shall apply to taxes that become delinquent during a taxable year until those taxes are paid in full. Given this is a reduction of more than two points from 2020's rate of 8%, municipalities may add up to two percentage points to the low end of the range, for a maximum of 6%. 4-6% is the lowest rate according to records dating back to 1991.
Your Perfect Winter Vacation in Maine
Maybe you are hoping to hit the slopes, or maybe you are simply hoping to rent a quiet cabin in the woods and to hunker down fireside…no matter what, a Maine winter vacation is all about doing what you love and having plenty of fun along the way.
With an average annual snowfall of 50 to 70 inches along the coast and 60 to 110 inches inland, there is plenty of powder to work with as you explore our world-class ski resorts, hundreds of miles of groomed Nordic skiing and snowshoeing trails, and vast networks of snowmobile trails. Accordingly, whether you are seeking a quiet weekend in the north woods or thrilling black-diamond and back-country days, Maine has so much to offer in the winter months.
For details and suggestions on how to take advantage of outdoor recreation activities in Maine, click here.
Participation in Upcoming Public Hearings
The State House is closed to the public. Individuals wishing to testify will be allowed to do so through an online Zoom meeting format. Those without Internet access will be provided with a phone number so that they may call-in to participate.
If you wish to submit written testimony to the committee, please use the on-line testimony submission portal found online here.
Those who wish to testify should send an email to lio@legislature.maine.gov or call (207) 287-1692 as soon as possible for additional information on how to sign up. The public is encouraged to sign up by 5:00 p.m. the day before the public hearing. To give all individuals who sign up the opportunity to testify, individuals will be limited to three minutes, followed by questions from committee members.
All others are welcome to watch the live stream broadcast at www.youtube.com/mainestatelegislature. Please note you will need to select the “channel” for the specific committee and then click on the link for that day.
Testimony may be submitted as soon as the bill is scheduled for public hearing. Testimony received after the day of the public hearing will be distributed to committee members and staff, but it will not be published online.
Testimony will be published as soon as possible after the day of the hearing. Your name and the organization you represent, or the town in which you live as specified by you, will accompany the publishing of your testimony. Please include your name and organization or town of residence on any documents.
Testimony submitted to a committee is public information. By submitting your comments, you agree to release to the public all tendered information. The email address you present will not be published. DO NOT INCLUDE any information you do not intend to make public, such as medical or other personal information.
|
