{"id":11616,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/tim-becker\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:41","slug":"tim-becker","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/tim-becker\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Becker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Previous Offices Held<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

None. This is my first run for public office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n

Top Three Priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

1. Property taxes: keep the state paying its share of school costs and municipal aid so the burden doesn't keep shifting onto local homeowners. 2. Child hunger: protect universal school meals and summer food programs. 3. Small business: cut compliance burdens and costs so employers can hire more and stay open.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n

Why are you running?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

I've spent 25 years solving complicated tax and financial problems \u2014 the kind where getting it wrong is expensive. Augusta produces plenty of problems like that, and few people in the building are trained to address them. I've spent this year at doors across Bridgton, Denmark and Harrison, mostly listening. What I hear is people asking for a state government that's careful with their money and straight with them. That's the job I want.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n

What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Right track: universal school meals. Since 2021 every public school student in Maine is able to eat breakfast and lunch free, and it works \u2014 kids learn better fed and families save. Wrong track: budgeting. We've funded ongoing commitments with one-time money and Rainy Day Fund draws. That's not sustainable and when it catches up the bill lands on property taxpayers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n

As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Two ways. First, expertise: tax and budget bills have significant effects on small towns, and I've spent 25 years addressing tax issues. I'll ask to be on the Taxation Committee. Second, access: I've spent this campaign at voters\u2019 doors, and I'll stay reachable the same way \u2014 showing up in all three towns and tracking every constituent problem until someone answers it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n

Surveys show the economy is the top concern of voters. What is a specific proposal addressing Maine voters\u2019 economic anxieties that you\u2019d work to make law?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Property tax relief aimed at year-round residents. In lake towns, assessments are driven by what second homes sell for; local wages aren't. I'd explore expanding Maine's Property Tax Fairness Credit so it reaches more working households and retirees on fixed incomes, and I'd hold the state to the school funding and municipal aid commitments already in statute so towns aren't forced to raise the mil rate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5058,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Timothy","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"John","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"Becker","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":11615,"voter_guide_candidate_age":50,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Attorney","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"Tax attorney with 25 years advising businesses and families through complex financial problems. Full-time Bridgton resident, motorcycle rider, hunter, dog lover and Highland Lake neighbor.","voter_guide_candidate_education":"B.A. in Spanish, Loyola University Maryland; J.D., University of Southern California Gould School of Law; Master of Business Taxation, USC Marshall School of Business; LL.M. in Taxation, New York University School of Law","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=1e04dBa3ZWt24x9_c13K9k94eJy-yaaHW","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1073],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-11616","candidate","type-candidate","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","vg_party-democratic"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/candidate"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11617,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/11616\/revisions\/11617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=11616"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=11616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}