4 towns with police might get tax break

ROCKLAND – The four Knox County towns with their own police departments would see a tax break if the recommendations of a task force are adopted.

But every other town in the county would pick up more of the cost of providing Sheriff’s Department patrols.

The recommendations come from a panel that has been examining the formula by which the cost of county services is assessed.

In June, commissioners charged the group with further review of the perceived inequity of taxing Camden, Rockport, Rockland and Thomaston – all of which have full-time police departments – at the same rate as towns that rely on the Knox County Sheriff’s Department.

The task force issued a draft of its conclusions last week, and commissioners spoke briefly about it at their meeting Tuesday. The task force is seeking written comments on the report, and will accept oral comments when it meets at the courthouse at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28.

Commissioners are expected to take up the recommendations at their Sept. 9 meeting. Chairman Lawrence Nash pledged to hold a public hearing on the issue before commissioners take any action.

The task force has recommended cutting the tax assessments to the four towns by 25 percent of the cost of the Sheriff’s Department’s patrol, which in 2001 was budgeted at $931,000.

Under the proposal:

. Camden’s assessment for the sheriff’s patrol would drop from $176,042 to $132,032.

. Rockport’s assessment would drop from $117,917 to $88,438.

. Rockland’s assessment would drop from $117,584 to $88,188.

. Thomaston’s assessment would drop from $$41,423 to $31,067.

St. George’s tax bill would increase by $21,617; Vinalhaven’s would increase by $14,772; North Haven’s would increase by $11,286; and Warren’s would increase by $10,620.

Early on in its work, the task force recommended moving to a “fee for service” model by which to distribute the cost of county services.

Officials in communities such as Camden and Rockland, which bear the highest share of the county tax bill because their waterfront real estate is highly valued, have complained for years that they pay for services they don’t use.

Especially odious is the patrol bill, since deputies rarely, if ever, patrol in the towns that have police departments.

The task force concluded that there are several obstacles to moving to a “fee for service” system, but that crediting the towns with police departments made sense.