Legislative Democrats raised property taxes this past session

Note: Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Dover-Foxcroft gave the recent Republican Weekly Address

Property owners throughout Maine have been shocked to learn that their property tax bills have risen again sharply: 6 percent in Portland; 13 percent in Westbrook; 9 percent in Gorham; 9 percent in Lewiston; 12 percent in Hallowell.

Rate increases are part of the problem.

Reevaluations are driving property taxes up even further.

The cruelest tax of all is the property tax.

What is a worse tax than one that can drive someone out of their home or continue to extort money from them just to stay in the place they bought with their own hard-earned money?

Maine already has the fourth highest tax burden in the country, and the highest property tax burden in the U.S.

This makes additional increases even more troubling and potentially devastating for retirees and people living on a fixed income.

While families are making hard choices in the face of runaway cost of living increases, and exploding taxes, Democrats removed a reasonable, necessary limit on property tax increases.

First, they removed the popular senior property tax freeze after only one year.

Second, they eliminated scheduled homestead exemption increases that would benefit taxpayers and municipalities.

Both of those were laws promoted by legislative Republicans that passed with Democrat support.

Finally, Democrats repealed a reasonable, necessary and compassionate limit on property tax growth. The limit was part of a bipartisan promise to voters that if more public money was spent on public education, property taxes would not increase beyond average income growth. Common sense says that taxes shouldn’t rise faster than the income needed to pay them.

Those actions will result in even higher property taxes!

Mainers deserve better than that.

Legislative Republicans have solutions to address this and other problems.

This coming session, Legislative Republicans will submit legislation to reinstate the senior property tax freeze, lower property taxes for everyone, and restore the taxpayer protections eliminated by Democrats.    

Please look at the bills you are paying, then consider who has been in charge since they went up.

The only way to make real change in Augusta is to Change the majority.

Join Republicans in changing course.

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Perkins is currently serving his first term in the Maine House representing District 31, which includes the towns of Brownville, Dover-Foxcroft, Lake View Plantation, Medford, Milo, the Orneville Township, Southeast Piscataquis, and the Atkinson Township. He serves on the 131st Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

Perkins served in the United States Army for 11 years, specializing in armor, intel, and aviation.  He serves his community as a member of the American Legion, North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, Gun Owners of America, American Radio Relay League, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, Project Appleseed, and Gun Owners of Maine.

Perkins and his wife Dorothea have 10 children: Haley, Olanna, Kala, Chad, Lliam, Owen, Brynn, Ainsley, Jordan, and Evelyn.