1A vote gets OK for June primary Baldacci prefers November vote

AUGUSTA – Responding to a request by Gov. John E. Baldacci for an opinion, the Maine Attorney General’s Office concluded Friday that Question 1A should be placed on the June primary ballot for a runoff election, barring intervening action by the Legislature.

Baldacci was seeking a November runoff election for the property tax relief question on the basis that it would attract a larger number of voters at that time than a primary election, which is restricted to party participation only. A little more than one-third of Maine’s voters are not enrolled in a political party.

But legislative leaders and election officials have said that if the referendum question is on the ballot then all voters can participate.

Question 1A seeks to force the state to pay a 55 percent share of all local education costs. It won nearly 38 percent of the vote Tuesday compared to the 35 percent received by Question 1B, a competing property tax plan endorsed by the Legislature and the governor, and 27 percent garnered by the 1C question that rejected both plans.

Although 1A received the most votes, it did not receive the majority needed to be declared the winner in the referendum. It has, however, earned the right to go back on a future ballot as an unopposed question.

Maine law stipulates that the 1A runoff vote cannot take place sooner than 60 days after Tuesday’s election or later than the next statewide election. The Legislature reserves the right to schedule a special election anytime after the 60-day grace period.

Baldacci’s spokesman Lee Umphrey said the governor will defer to the AG’s office in its identification of the June primary as the next statewide election, even though it does not meet what he considers to be a truer definition of a statewide November election.

“He thinks November is still a viable option so that all people can weigh in and it would also give the Legislature more time to do their work starting in January and for the people to obtain the information they need to have before voting,” Umphrey said. “He will continue to make that point for discussion purposes.”

Speculation runs rampant over 1A’s future prospects which, given the number of votes cast in opposition Tuesday, could easily be defeated in June. Lawmakers could ignore 1A since it is not a law and do nothing to prepare for its possible approval in June.

But legislative leaders have already made plans to meet privately with leaders of the 1A political action committee Citizens To Reduce Local Property Taxes Statewide, which includes the Maine Municipal Association and the Maine Education Association.

Leaders of the 1A PAC have expressed an interest in working with the Legislature and the governor’s office to see if legislation could be crafted to satisfy the concerns of all parties in the property tax relief debate.

It’s not inconceivable that, if a strong enough proposal could be crafted, the 1A proponents would withdraw their support for their own proposal and back a legislative model. All parties agree that a number of serious discussions will have to take place before that happens.

“The governor hopes to meet with leadership next week to discuss exactly what the best course is to bring the best form of property tax relief to Maine’s people,” Umphrey said.