HARRISON — The Board of Selectmen not only joined other municipalities in voicing opposition to the governor’s proposal to flat fund and then eliminate revenue-sharing, but asked state representatives to push for restoring fully-funded revenue-sharing for fiscal 2016.

At its meeting Feb. 12, the board signed a letter penned by Selectman Richard Sykes that was addressed to state Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, and state Rep. Phyllis Ginzler, R-Bridgton. The letter states the board strongly objects to Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to flat fund revenue-sharing for fiscal 2016 and eliminate it entirely in fiscal 2017.

The letter also gave a brief background on revenue-sharing, which began in 1972 as a partnership between the state and municipalities to help pay for unfunded state mandates such as the Shoreland Zoning Act, Tree Growth, Farmland and Open Space programs.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Bill Winslow was ill and absent from the meeting.

Town Manager George “Bud” Finch said the state opted to take more sales and income taxes from taxpayers and send 5 percent back to communities as part of the revenue-sharing plan.

Selectmen wrote there are more unfunded mandates that have been added over the last four decades. This has “resulted in continual increases to the local property tax burden. … It is time the Legislature stopped balancing the budget on the backs of local municipalities.”

“Simply put, the revenue-sharing we get from the state is to pay for the things they told us to do,” Sykes said at the Feb. 12 meeting.

Finch thanked Sykes for crafting the letter and said the problem isn’t confined to political parties.

“For me, it isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue. Every governor has attacked the revenue-sharing plan since we’ve had it,” he said.

Finch noted that Harrison is receiving roughly half of what it should through the current revenue-sharing program. For fiscal 2015 and 2016, $80,000 will be allocated to the town, and if revenue-sharing was fully funded, Harrison would receive around $200,000. The revenue is used to offset municipal services.

“(If) we lose that $80,000, it’s either going to be made up in taxes or cut out of services. We cut our services back, so the only thing that is left — and I know it makes people nervous — is people and benefits. There’s very little else left in the budget,” Finch said. Residents haven’t wanted to increase taxes in town since he arrived more than four years ago, he said.

The town is nowhere near meeting its other needs for capital equipment, he added.

“It’s very important to me that the state maintains its community relationship that says, ‘We’re all in this together,’” Finch said.

Finch said in an email Monday that he hadn’t received a response from Hamper or Ginzler.

eplace@sunmediagroup.net

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