St. Albans man plans to seek state House seat

ST. ALBANS — Timothy “Tim” Breen of St. Albans has announced plans to seek election to the Maine Legislature as a Democratic candidate from House District 108, Hartland, St. Albans, Palmyra, Canaan and Cornville. The post is held now by Rep. Vaughn Stedman, R-Hartland.

A 22-year resident of St. Albans, Breen has served on the SAD 48 board of directors for five years. His familiarity with school funding and the decline in state subsidy is part of the focus of his campaign.

“We are losing control over our property taxes unless we can do something at the state level about the way our towns are evaluated by the state,” he said. “We are caught in a double whammy of having to raise more money at the local level to get a decreasing amount of school funding from the state.

Breen points out that both Somerset and Penobscot counties have been rising in valuation over the last five years, disproportionately to what realtors have reported in their sales. At the same time, valuations in Cumberland and York counties have declined.

“We are in danger of losing equity in our school funding. I intend to address the discrepancies in property assessment that are forcing us to pay more for less,” Breen said.

As an entrepeneur and employee as a carpenter, tree pruner, woodcutter, and millworker, he has an interest in providing incentives for small businesses to encourage the creation of new jobs and a healthy business climate for small business.

Breen is a full-time student in the rehabilitation services program at the University of Maine at Farmington. He is the father of four children ages 15 to 25.