AUGUSTA – Familiarizing themselves with state plans to cope with energy costs, a panel of Maine lawmakers Thursday also heard reports about the financial pressures on towns and schools stemming from high fuel prices.
Some Appropriations Committee panelists immediately raised questions related to school calendars, seeking to determine if there appeared to be local consideration or interest in closing schools for a time during the winter heating season and making up those days in warmer weather.
Discussion also turned to the possibility of new state appropriations to aid financially pressed consumers.
A Maine Municipal Association representative said a recent survey by that organization found that many worries for city and town officials focused on public works and public safety departments.
An MMA survey analysis said four out of five respondents already reported some impact on municipal operating budgets from increasing energy costs.
Meanwhile, Gov. John Baldacci’s office announced that the Maine Democrat had signed a letter to congressional budget writers in support of nearly $1.3 billion of emergency funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program.
The bipartisan request came from more than two dozen governors.
Baldacci’s office said heating oil this year is nearly 60 percent higher than last winter and that officials expect a surge of applications for the heating assistance.
“For Fiscal Year 2006, we would urge that you increase regular LIHEAP funds significantly from current levels,” the governors wrote to congressional appropriators. “The recent increase in LIHEAP authorization to $5.1B, signed into law last month as part of the Energy Policy Act, provides adequate room for a substantial increase.
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