Tax-relief groups collect $2M in Question 1 battle Flurry of fund raising in 23 days

AUGUSTA – Opposing factions in the Question 1 debate over property-tax relief doubled the amount of money raised in the overall campaign to more than $2 million in just 23 days, according to reports filed Wednesday with the state ethics commission.

The campaign finance reports filed with the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices indicated that the Maine Municipal Association was the sole contributor to its own Question 1A campaign during the filing period Oct. 1 to Oct. 23. The lobbying group for municipalities contributed $625,000 to the political action committee, Citizens to Reduce Local Property Taxes Statewide, which was formed for the campaign. The donation raised MMA’s total contributions through Oct. 23 to nearly $1.5 million.

Most of the money raised during the filing period, about $558,000, was paid to Stevens, Reed, Curcio and Potholm, an Alexandria, Va., media marketing group. The PAC reported about $55,000 left in hand as of Oct. 23.

Question 1B, a competing measure to 1A crafted by Gov. John E. Baldacci and the Maine Legislature, is represented by the political action committee, Mainers For Responsible Property Tax Relief. A number of large corporations – concerned that approval of 1A could result in the curtailment of the Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement program – joined to contribute $285,000 during the filing period, bringing the PAC’s year-to-date total to a little more than $579,000. With expenses of about $500,000 for the period, including $427,000 to Main Street Communications of Washington, D.C., the PAC reported about $19,000 in cash on hand.

Among the larger contributors to 1B were: Nestle Waters of North America, the parent company of Poland Spring Water Co., which contributed $50,000; Nexfor Fraser Papers of Madawaska, $45,000; Irving Forest Products, $35,000; Cianbro Corp., $25,000; and the Maine Association of Realtors, $10,000.

A second 1B fund-raiser, Energy PAC for Me that consists largely of Maine oil dealers, raised $9,300 for the period, with $5,000 contributed by the C.N. Brown Co. The PAC’s year-to-date total is about $10,500 with an available balance of $9,200.

The Common Sense for Maine Taxpayers PAC, which is supporting Question 1C to reject both the citizens’ initiative and the competing measure, continued to trail far behind the other PACs in fund raising. The 1C political action committee reported a single contribution of $250 during this reporting period, bringing its year-to-date total to $780. The PAC reported cash on hand of $772.

Under state law, if neither Question 1A nor 1B receives more than 50 percent of the vote on Nov. 4, the option receiving the greatest number of ballots will be considered next June as an unopposed question as long as it receives at least 33 percent of the total number of votes cast. If 1C – the none-of-the-above option – gets enough votes to prevent both 1A and 1B from getting a third of the vote, then the MMA proposal and competing measure will both die and no further voting will be needed.