SKOWHEGAN – The first of several planned forums of a newly organized effort to engage Somerset County business owners and state legislators in a dialogue about issues of concern to area business leaders will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at the Skowhegan Community Center. The topic will be “State Tax Reform.”

Somerset Economic Development Corp. sponsored a series of public forums in 2007, seeking input to the revision of its economic development strategy for Somerset County. Several actions items were recommended and a survey of businesses, which relate to engaging the area’s legislative delegation in meaningful dialogue, was taken.

With that in mind, the corporation, in partnership with Western Mountains Alliance, is implementing a series of legislative forums.

The forums are being modeled after WMA’s Western Maine Legislative Caucus Series, which has educated the community and legislators about issues of importance to the region for more than 20 years.

The forums will be held over the course of the year in Somerset County, starting with the dialogue on State Tax Reform. Each forum will address a specific topic, with speakers who are knowledgeable about the issue.

After the presentations, there will be a facilitated dialogue between business leaders and legislators about the effects that particular topic has on the business community and what business owners and managers believe may be possible solutions to the problem and how legislators can assist.

Jim Batey of Somerset Economic Development Corp. and Tanya Swain of WMA are seeking input on topics for future forums. “We believe that together we can form an alliance among business leaders, economic developers, chambers of commerce and state legislators that, over time, can make a meaningful difference in the business attitude of state government.”

Business owners, managers and state legislators are invited to the June 19 forum. RSVP to Batey, 474-0166, [email protected] or Tanya Swain, 778-3885, [email protected].