Seniors should pay attention to property tax increases

To the editor,

This year our seniors will benefit from the new Property Tax Stabilization Program passed last year which allows residents 65 and over to freeze their property taxes at last year’s amount if they have lived in their houses for at least 10 years. The state will make up the shortfall to the town.

It sounded too good to be true — and the Legislature thought so, too. Our state representatives have been hard at work to eliminate or modify the new program. It is likely the freeze will be replaced by an income-qualified expanded senior tax credit, like the Homestead Exemption. Even if lawmakers don’t complete work on changing the current law during this session, there is little doubt that the Senior Tax Freeze program freezing property taxes will disappear soon.

Our 4 percent property tax increase in Scarborough this year is the highest we’ve experienced in nine years. Over the next five years our town will be taking on close to $200 million in debt to solve overcrowding in our schools. Seniors and all residents need to pay attention to the school proposals soon to be presented to the town council. The tax impact will be large and long-lasting.

If ever there was a time where you must weigh in, let your voices be heard – and vote – this is it.

Susan Hamill

Scarborough

Proposed budget is a missed opportunity

To the editor,

On June 27, Scarborough residents will vote on the proposed school budget. At the beginning of this budget process, town leaders assured us that this budget cycle would not be business as usual. They acknowledged the significant tax increases that will necessarily result from the new school project – now priced at $150 million, not including the significant costs of land purchase and much site development work.

This budget was supposed to reflect restraint and smart choices so as to minimize the impact of the future major tax increases associated with the school project.

That didn’t happen. In fact, the combined municipal and school net budget increased by 7.0 percent to $82.1 million. That’s the total amount to be raised by property taxes. How is that restraint?

The tax rate increase is 4.0 percent. That’s lower than the net budget increase because of the explosive and detrimental growth permitted by town policy over the past five years. It’s also 1 percent higher than our historic tax rate increase target of 3 percent or less. So, instead of cutting back the tax rate hike to cushion the blow of the school project, they increased it.

It’s business as usual at town hall. Please consider this when you vote on the school budget on June 27 at the high school.

Steve Hanly

Scarborough