Windham residents protest new tax plan

WINDHAM – The town’s tax assessor plans to begin taxing residents’ snowblowers, trailers, ATVs and other big-ticket personal property items.

But a number of residents don’t like the plan.

Lane Hiltunen said it is unfair for Windham to levy such a tax while neighboring communities don’t do the same. Hiltunen has spent much of the past two weeks rallying opposition to the tax.

“If it was done statewide, that’s fine,” said Hiltunen. “I feel we’re being singled out when you can go right down the road … and not have to pay [the tax].”

But Town Councilor Tom Bartell said just because Windham in the past ignored the tax doesn’t mean it will continue to do so. State law mandates personal property valued at over $1,000 be taxed locally at the local tax rate, but the law is not enforced in scores of Maine towns and cities.

“We may have ignored [the law] before,” Bartell said, “but now that we know it, I don’t know how we could turn a blind eye toward it.”

Bob Tripp, the town’s tax assessor, said the personal property tax has not been collected in Windham for years. Tripp told councilors this summer that he intends to begin taxing the items allowed by law.

Tripp said his office will target large outdoor items such as flatbed trailers, horse trailers, all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers and snowblowers.

“It’s not my intent to tax things like computers and table saws,” he said. “We really don’t have the ability to do that.”

Taxing the 600 ATVs registered in Windham alone could reduce the town’s mill rate by about 35 cents, Tripp said. Windham likely has between $2 million and $3 million in taxable personal property, he said.

Tripp said his office will mail out educational materials next year to help residents better understand the law. The office will mail claim forms in February.

Town Councilor Elizabeth Wisecup, who opposes Tripp’s decision, questioned whether the increase in revenue would outweigh the cost of enforcing the law. She said Tripp’s staff will spend too much time tracking down residents who neglect to list their property.