| 4.__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. |