Maine Lawmakers Grant Some Tax Relief, But Taxpayers May Not See Much Of A Benefit

But Sarah Austin, an analyst with the progressive Maine Center for Economic Policy, says local municipal officials are scrambling to find a way to pay for unmet needs, including investments in local infrastructure long delayed by the recession.

“There is a very large hole that has been created by years of underfunding at the local level,” Austin says.

Austin says programs like revenue sharing may not bring down property taxes, but they can help prevent taxes from going up. She believes an increase in the homestead exemption, which lawmakers approved this year, will help some property taxpayers.

“What homestead does is shield a certain portion of your homes value,” says Austin. “So it was $20,000 of your home value that you were not paying taxes on, if it was your primary home. Now the budget increased that to $25,000 that you don’t pay taxes on.”

Click here to read the full story, first published on July 10, 2019, in Maine Public.