Baldacci spokesman defends boss’s regionalization efforts

Gov. John Baldacci may have gotten the message that the Belfast City Council and Waldo County Selectmen’s Association have problems with his call for regionalization.

But he’s not about to change his mind, his spokesman said Monday.

Baldacci has received letters sent last week by the two municipal bodies, but he remains committed to pursuing policies he thinks are in the state’s best interests, spokesman Lee Umphrey said.

In their letter, the council and selectmen’s association were specifically critical of the governor’s proposed municipal services districts.

They suggested that rather than save money by combining scarce financial resources, the services districts would create another layer of bureaucracy and likely add to the burden of local property taxes.

The municipal officers insisted that large bodies of government, such as the state, county and school districts, are largely responsible for the growing tax rates faced by Maine towns. They also took issue with a suggestion that small towns are unable to manage their money.

Umphrey said he was surprised by the tone of the letters, but understood the frustration municipal officials share as they cope with dwindling resources.

He said the state had to bite the bullet on its budget this year and suggested that a further tightening of budgets is possible. He said the governor believes savings could be realized by combining resources. Placing a cap on spending at the municipal level and increasing the state’s share of education funding would hold the line on taxes, he said.

“A regional approach is necessary,” Umphrey said. “We had to do it at the state level, and the governor views it as part of the process, local and state, of figuring how we can get more for our dollar in Maine. Changes have to be made at the local and state level.”

Umphrey said the governor has held meetings with local and county officials over the past few months, and he urged the Waldo County group to request such a meeting. He said the next few weeks would be devoted to the special legislative session on tax reform and bond issues, but that the governor was prepared to meet with the officials.

“They [the officials] were a little off in their characterization of how things are being done, but it’s understandable,” Umphrey said. “It’s a reflection of the tough times everybody in Maine is facing. … There is a need for tax relief and reform in all levels of government. He’s been equally tough on state government and made some hard choices.”