128th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 82 LR 344(02)
An Act To Exempt Permanently Disabled Veterans from Payment of Property Tax
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
Committee: Taxation
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Fiscal Note
State Mandate - Funded
FY 2017-18 FY 2018-19 Projections  FY 2019-20 Projections  FY 2020-21
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund $0 $11,200 $4,750,000 $4,875,000
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund $0 $11,200 $4,750,000 $4,875,000
State Mandates
Required Activity Unit Affected Local Cost
Requires municipalities to process additional property tax exemption applications as a result of expanding the exemption to veterans receiving a 100% service-connected disability. Municipality Moderate statewide
The required local activities in this bill may represent a state mandate pursuant to the Constitution of Maine. If the bill does require a local unit of government to expand or modify its activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenue, the state mandate provisions of the Constitution of Maine require either: (1) General Fund appropriations be provided to fund at least 90% of any additional necessitated local costs of the mandate; or (2) a Mandate Preamble be added to the bill and two-thirds of the members of each House vote to exempt the mandate from the funding requirement. If the bill does represent a state mandate and neither one of these actions occurs, the local units of government will not be required to implement the mandated activities.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill provides a 100% property tax exemption to veterans receiving a 100% service-connected disability and municipalities will receive reimbursement for 100% of their property tax loss from the State.  The bill includes a General Fund appropriation of $11,200 in fiscal year 2018-19 to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to reimburse municipalities for 90% of the mandated administrative costs of implementing this exemption.  Additional future General Fund appropriations will be needed beginning in fiscal year 2019-20 to reimburse municipalities for 100% of the exemption.