Gov. John Baldacci was very clear Monday.

The Legislature will enact tax reform.

Regardless of the hurdles, competing plans, partisan roadblocks and personal differences, nobody is leaving Augusta until the high burden of property taxes is addressed.

That was the governor’s message Monday when he met with the Sun Journal editorial board.

Before the electoral defeat of the tax-cap proposal last week, some supporters said they needed to send a message to Augusta about taxes. Their logic: Only by passing the tax cap would state leaders take the issue seriously.

Much to the credit of the coalition that formed to oppose it, the tax cap failed despite having an early lead in polls and presenting a compelling message about painlessly reducing property taxes. The facts of the tax cap’s draconian nature carried the day.

But the message was delivered. The governor staked much of his political reputation on defeating the tax cap, and he has promised to deliver now that he’s won the fight.

During the campaign, the state Chamber of Commerce presented its own tax plan, which includes spending caps on local, county and state government, and a fund directed toward reducing the income tax.

Gov. Baldacci praised the plan and several of its innovative ideas. But he also said that the plan presented lawmakers with a potentially difficult deadline. If the Chamber gathers enough signatures and puts its measure on the ballot, the Constitution limits what actions can be taken legislatively. In that case, lawmakers would have a deadline of Jan. 20. After that, any work they do would become a competing ballot measure.

Hopefully, the passions that worked against substantial reform during the election year have cooled. Effective tax reform will require Republicans and Democrats to work together. Baldacci says he wants to reach across the aisle to find a workable solution to Maine’s property tax problem.

Tax reform will test the governor’s resolve, and he will likely face challenges from both the left and the right. How he navigates the minefield might well determine the outcome of the gubernatorial race in 2006.

Much is riding on tax reform, both for taxpayers and the governor. The Chamber’s plan is a good place to start.