Madawaska’s losses

Perhaps it is time for legislators to scrutinize the criteria used in assessing taxes on paper-making machinery and in evaluating taxes on towns in which they are located. The two aren’t reciprocal.

The one-industry, small paper-mill town of Madawaska has lost 1,500 population in the past 30 years. It has no hospital campus, commerce center, shopping mall or any other amenities.

We no longer have an employment office.

Our town manager and police chief recently trekked to Augusta to plead a case to keep our courthouse open. Surrounding towns, where most mill employees live, qualify for programs we can’t because we are over-assessed.

Residents and the town are unjustly taxed simply because paper machines are located here, little else. The many vacant storefronts, high number of homes for sale and empty industrial park aren’t signs of a community that should be rated as Aroostook’s highest taxpayer. Our remoteness magnifies the exodus problem.

Madawaska isn’t very well off and hurts in ways people in Augusta don’t realize or don’t care about. Take our tax monies with one hand and take away our state public services with the other. Where’s the fairness and logic?

Diversified economic development hasn’t occurred here since 1925 when the paper mill opened its doors. Ongoing job eliminations at the mill have many tradesmen displaced and previous hard-working, conscientious, nonunion personnel without employment. Fraser Paper benefits the state, county and St. John Valley, but no longer benefits Madawaska.

Ricky McKinney

Madawaska