Board: Lewiston City Council

Met: Tuesday night

Next steps for tax reform

Issue: Now that TABOR is no longer a threat, Lewiston councilors are hoping to get state legislators and the governor to fix property taxes. They hope to sell their tax-reform ideas to Lewiston-Auburn legislators and Auburn city councilors at a meeting next week.

The scoop: Lewiston is backing five ways to give relief to homeowners:

• Phase in revaluations for single-family homes;

• Create a city-based homestead exemption program;

• Allow cities to tax nonprofit groups;

• Let cities run the circuit-breaker programs;

• Pay for state homestead exemptions with higher sales taxes.

Up next: Lewiston officials will pitch their proposal to legislators at a workshop meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, at city hall.

Railroad rules modernized

Issue: The cities of Lewiston and Auburn are shareholders in the Lewiston-Auburn Railroad Co., which owns a railroad corridor running through the downtowns, connecting to the bigger interstate Guilford and St. Lawrence and Atlantic lines.

The railroad was created in 1872 and its rules haven’t changed much since then. The state Legislature approved a set of modern bylaws this year, spelling out meeting times and dates, voting procedures and other administrative rules.

The scoop: Auburn councilors approved the bylaw changes in October. The Lewiston City Council’s vote Tuesday to adopt the new rules make them official.

Up next: The railroad corporation’s board of directors will reconvene in April 2007. It’s business as usual after that.

Holiday celebration at Courthouse Plaza

The scoop: A tree-lighting ceremony and holiday concert will begin with a parade at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7. The parade will go down Lisbon Street and end at Courthouse Plaza for a Christmas tree and menorah lighting at 5:30 p.m. There will be costumed characters on hand – including Santa Claus – as well as food, hot chocolate, a concert and a community sing-a-long.

Liquor licenses

Issue: Local restaurants and bars must reapply for liquor licenses and amusement permits each year. Liquor licenses let them serve alcohol; amusement permits let them play music, have a DJ or karaoke, or have games on site.

The scoop: Councilors reupped both licenses and permits Tuesday for Fish Bones American Grill, at 70 Lincoln St.; and for the Sportsman Athletic Club, 21 Bates St.

They approved new licenses and permits for three establishments: The Vault, at 347 Lisbon St.; The Gridiron Restaurant and Sports Bar, at 1567 Lisbon St.; and Mulligan’s Indoor Golf, at 1035 Lisbon St.

Contact government reporter Scott Taylor at [email protected]