FARMINGTON – County commissioners voted unanimously to deny a tax abatement to a Farmington man who said he is charged too much for land.

William Davis owns 256 feet of shoreland on Clearwater Lake in Industry. Although a camp sits on one section of the land, 100 linear feet of the land is not developed and never can be because of shoreland zoning rules.

Davis said the assessed value of the unusable 100 feet is $58,710, a figure that’s not reasonable considering it’s only good to stand on or maybe have a picnic, Davis told commissioners at a hearing Tuesday morning.

He contended that the land should be valued at $5,000 because its is “only as valuable as its use.” The only use for it is as a buffer between other camps on the lake, Davis said.

The assessed value of the entire property is $183,700 and Davis was requesting a $631 rebate for taxes paid on the non-buildable property.

Bob Gingras, Industry’s assessor, said the town’s properties are assessed fairly and consistently. He said each year, more and more of the tax burden is falling on those who own shoreline frontage on lakes or the ocean, saying that’s the most beautiful part of Maine.

That’s all commissioners needed to hear. Because Davis could not prove that he had been treated unfairly or that his property was assessed higher than comparable properties, commissioners sided with the town.

Davis said he wasn’t worried about being treated unfairly, but that the system that values buildable and unbuildable property the same is wrong.

“I don’t disagree that it’s wrong,” said Commissioner Meldon Gilmore.

In the end, commissioners said they were denying the abatement because Davis couldn’t prove a disparity in how his land had been assessed.

Convention coming

Franklin County will host the 2004 Maine County Commissioners Association convention.

The three-day event, which will be held in September at Sugarloaf USA, includes training, workshops and meetings as well as some fun for more than 300 county employees from around Maine.

“It’s a chance for all the counties to get together and share ideas,” said Franklin County clerk Julie Magoon.

Franklin County volunteered to play host, she said, adding the event will economically benefit the area, especially around Carrabassett Valley and Kingfield, as many county employees will patronize area businesses while at the convention or while they’re on their way through the towns.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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