LD 1
pg. 59
Page 58 of 70 An Act To Increase the State Share of Education Costs, Reduce Property Taxes an... Page 60 of 70
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LR 328
Item 1

 
A.__For purposes of determining the assessment limit for the
first fiscal year for which this section is effective, the
limit must be set at the amount assessed by the county on

 
its member municipalities during the prior fiscal year,
multiplied by the sum of the following: one; plus the income
growth factor set forth in subsection 3; plus the annual
property growth factor for its member municipalities set
forth in subsection 1.

 
B.__In the event the prior year's assessment reflects the
effect of extraordinary, nonrecurring events, the county may
submit a written notice to the State Tax Assessor requesting
an adjustment in the assessment calculation.__The adjustment
must be determined in a reasonable amount of time.

 
3.__Income growth factor.__The income growth factor applicable
to fiscal years following the effective date of this section is
the base growth factor, defined as the average real personal
income growth rate, defined in Title 5, section 1665, subsection
1, which rate may not exceed 2.75%.__For fiscal years commencing
after such time as the state tax burden ranks in the middle 1/3
of all states, as determined by the State Tax Assessor, the
growth factor must become the personal income growth factor.__The
personal income growth factor is one plus the average percent
change in personal income in this State for the prior 10 calendar
years, ending with the most recent calendar year for which data
are available, as estimated by the United States Department of
Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.__For purposes of this
section, "state tax burden" means the total amount of state and
local taxes paid by Maine residents, per $1,000 of income, as
determined by the State Tax Assessor based on data from the
United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census and Bureau
of Economic Analysis.__The State Tax Assessor shall undertake
this calculation no less than once per year.__For any fiscal year
thereafter, if the State Tax Assessor has determined that the
state tax burden has increased to the highest 1/3 of states, the
growth factor for the following fiscal year must be the base
growth factor.__In all other fiscal years when the state tax
burden ranks in the middle 1/3 of states, as determined by the
State Tax Assessor, the growth factor must be the personal income
growth factor.

 
4.__Adjustment for new state funding.__In addition to
subsection 3, in the event the State provides net new funding to
a county for existing services funded in whole or in part by
assessments, other than required state mandate funds pursuant to
section 5685 that do not displace current assessment-based
expenditures, the county must lower its assessment limit in that
year in an amount equal to the net new funds.__For purposes of
this subsection, "net new funds" means the amount of funds


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