Don’t undermine the engine of our local economy
To the Editor;
Community response to the county budget advisory committee’s recommendation to cut all programmatic grants (except for hospice) and to the commissioner’s subsequent proposed changes to the recommended budget announced at the start of the meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18 (pre-determined outside of the public meeting) which outlined funding some programs at 100% while reducing or cutting others completely, spurred anger and confusion, leaving frustrated citizens to strain at the logic behind the commissioners’ decision and calling the entire budget process into question.
These cuts demonstrate a lack of care for the county they are supposed to serve. This was made more evident by the cuts the commissioners elected to make to the Piscataquis Regional Food Center (who fed over 1,200 local individuals in 2025 so far), from support of $5,000 down to $1,800, and the Eastern Area Agency on Aging, an organization that just established a Piscataquis-based location offering vital programming and assistance for the elderly such as Meals on Wheels who were completely cut from funding. These community services are heavily utilized and funding cuts will be palpably painful for our local residents.
Less noticeable at first, but equally as damaging to our economy and grossly short-sited is the decision to completely withdraw funding for the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce and Destination Moosehead Lake, as well as the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council which manages the Maine Office of Tourism Grant to promote the Maine Highlands Region.
The economics of tourism in our region are clear and compelling. According to the Maine Office of Tourism’s 2023-24 data for the Maine Highlands region, visitors spent more than $654,941,700 in direct expenditures in 2023 — a 5.7% increase from the prior year. That spending supported 9,100 jobs in the region and contributed $348,633,500 in wages. Perhaps most relevant to local taxpayers: every household in the Maine Highlands region saved $1,405 in state and local taxes, thanks to visitors.
How can our leaders choose to undermine one of our most powerful economic engines? Completely cutting support for our economic development and tourism-promotion entities threatens to reverse the progress we have made. If tourism promotion is scaled back, fewer visitors may come, fewer dollars will flow into our local economy, fewer jobs will be supported and the tax savings enjoyed by our households may erode (not to mention the resulting decline in business support services, workforce support and legislative advocacy).
It’s important to remind ourselves: tourism is not a nice-to-have. It’s a job creator, a wage earner, a generator of visitor spending and a provider of tax relief for locals. In the Maine Highlands region, the data makes this very plain. When we diminish the organizations whose job it is to promote visitation — to market scenic drives, lodging, events, dining, outdoor recreation, local heritage and artisan services — we risk the economic ripple effects. More importantly, we risk the tax-savings dividend that flows back to each household.
Our county government must ask itself: Do we want fewer jobs and fewer economic opportunities? Do we want to reduce our community’s vitality and cease investment in our region’s growth? Let’s align our policies with the facts: tourism delivers substantial benefits and supporting it is both smart economics and sound public policy.
This is not the time to cut services for Piscataquis residents and business owners. We need our leaders to do better.
Denise Buzzelli
Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce executive director
The Maine Highlands Corp president
PCEDC president