On June 8, voters have an opportunity to send a clear message to the lawmakers and the governor in Augusta: Keep your promise to properly fund Maine’s schools and provide relief for Maine’s overburdened property taxpayers.

Question 1, “The School Finance and Tax Reform Act of 2004,” will force the state to keep its 1985 promise of funding 55 percent of the cost of K-12th grade education. Currently, the broken promise sits at 42 percent and, under the Legislature’s failure to act this past session, will drop just over 40 percent in the coming fiscal year.

There’s little accountability in the Legislature. Their recent claims to have passed a state budget with “no tax increases” should be understood as “with a huge shift to the property taxes (for which they do not claim responsibility) and with lots of new fees and charges.” The state budget flat-funded education for two years, and cut aid to towns in many forms, including school construction, roads and revenue sharing. It also repealed a significant portion of the Homestead Exemption program (a direct property tax relief program). These cuts resulted in more than a $60 million “shift” onto the local property tax.

The governor and some legislators have continually said the state can’t “afford” Question 1. The bill is already being paid. This is not new money. What they are really saying is “We want to continue to pass the bill down to the local property taxpayer.” They are saying “We won’t take political responsibility for paying our portion of the school bill.”

The property tax situation in Maine is a mess. The Legislature did not heed the call of the voters to develop a solution to the property tax crisis. This year’s actions in the political arena in Augusta made the property tax situation worse. They had eight plans for tax relief, yet not enough consensus or leadership to pass one.

Instead of providing 55 percent of the costs of public education, the state will soon be paying a mere 40 percent. This is the lowest contribution from the state under the education law that has been in place since 1984. Local property taxpayers have been footing the bill for nearly 20 years.

The people in Augusta are heading down the wrong road and Question 1 will head us back in the right direction. Question 1 is a chance for the Legislature to work to stabilize Maine’s revenue sources, secure funding for Maine’s schools, reduce the tax burden of Maine’s citizens, work in a cooperative way to eliminate wasteful government spending and provide Maine’s homeowners with real property tax relief. This is a plan that can be used to improve Maine’s economic landscape.

It is also a plan that can be flexible as we move toward a workable solution. Question 1 supporters have reached out to a number of legislators who want to be part of the solution rather than be part of the problem. Question 1 provides the Legislature with the broad outlines of what needs to be done, but it retains for the Legislature the responsibility to pass the proper laws to address the problems of crushing property taxes, unpredictable state revenue, and high tax burden.

Question 1 is an excellent starting point to begin the much-needed process of tax reform. We believe the proposal will be the catalyst to force the Legislature to act. The choice on June 8 could not be clearer – Question 1 is an opportunity for property taxpayers to tell the Legislature to address tax relief and tax reform in a responsible and measured way.

The chance for real tax reform is now squarely in the hands of the voters. Regular property taxpayers have been given a voice about their property taxes.

Dana Lee is president of the Citizens to Reduce Local Property Taxes Statewide.

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