FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners announced Friday the tax-increment financing agreement 2025 grant application process is open.

Organizations with projects in the unorganized territory can apply for funding, including for recreational trail improvements.

Applications for letters of intent are being accepted until May 2. Letter of intent and grant applications can be downloaded at www.greaterfranklin.org. For more information, contact the TIF administrators at 207- 778-6614.

The state approved an application for an amendment in March 2024 to the Franklin County’s Tax Increment Financing District and Development Program connected to the unorganized territory. The amendment expands the categories of uses eligible for TIF funds.

TIF funds are to be used for economic development purposes and can be used on a prorated basis if they are used countywide. The county entered into an Enterprise Tax-Increment Finance and Development Program agreement with TransCanada Maine Wind Development in 2008 when it owned a 44-turbine wind energy development in Kibby and Skinner townships. TransCanada sold the wind energy project to Helix Maine Wind Development in 2017.

The TIF agreement is for 30 years and is set to expire June 30, 2039.

Part of the funds obtained from this district are put toward two funding programs: grants for projects in the unorganized territory and a revolving loan fund. In addition, the TIF funds scholarships for college students who reside in the unorganized territory.

The county’s TIF Advisory Committee, which is comprised of unorganized territory residents, reviews applications in approved categories and grades them. The successful applications are presented to county commissioners to consider for approval.

With the original agreement for the development program, the unorganized territory would capture 75% of the increased assessed value from property tax years April 1, 2009, through March 31, 2019, then 100% from property tax years April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2039.

As of August 2024, there was an estimated $4.1 million in the county’s TIF funding account and $700,000 more was slated to come in October 2024, according to county Administrator Amy Bernard’s information.  The amount does not include funding grants that have been approved since then, including $700,000 to help fund the county’s new $4.4 million Emergency Operations Center on County Way, which is nearly complete.

The fifth amendment expanded the categories for TIF money to fund, including quality child care and adult centers, or scholarships for those facilities, in the unorganized territory for economic development funding options.

Other new categories include transit-oriented development; recreational trail development; financing cost expenditures; affordable housing within and outside the district to serve economic development or assist with homelessness, environmental improvements; and public safety facilities related to economic development not to exceed 15% of captured assessed value.