13 former Bangor mayors unite in opposition to Palesky tax cap

BANGOR – Their service to the city spans generations, from the 1950s through this decade. They include Republicans, Democrats and at least one unenrolled voter, as well as men and women from the left, the right and the middle of the political spectrum.

Regardless of where they stand on other issues, 13 former Bangor mayors, or council chairmen, do agree on one thing: The proposed statewide tax cap on the Nov. 2 ballot must be defeated.

That’s the message of a letter released on Friday. Drafted by former Bangor council Chairman Michael Crowley, an unenrolled voter now residing in Levant, the letter is authorized by former Chairmen Michael Aube, Joseph Baldacci, Patricia Blanchette, John Bragg, Arthur Brountas, Galen Cole, Nichi Farnham, John Rohman, Donald Soucy, Richard Stone, Larry Willey and Timothy Woodcock.

That such a diverse group of former council leaders joined forces for a common purpose is an unusual, perhaps unprecedented, step, according to Crowley, who said Friday that the tax cap initiative was just too important an issue to let go by without comment.

“It’s an erosion of our ability to determine our own destiny on a local level,” Crowley said of the referendum question.

Named after Topsham tax activist Carol Palesky, the initiative aims to cap property taxes at 1 percent of their assessed value, or $10 per $1,000 in property value, as long a property remains in a family.

“I understand the need for tax relief and I understand there is a level of frustration that people are feeling, but quite honestly, this is the most destructive thing I’ve seen,” Crowley said.

Bangor Democrat Joseph Baldacci of Bangor agreed, borrowing a phrase coined by his brother, Gov. John Baldacci:

“It takes a meat ax approach to tax relief,” he said Friday. “It’s going to straightjacket government. I think the big threat Question 1 represents is to public safety and public education. As the father of two small children, I think it’s important that we protect both.”

In the letter, the mayors wrote: “While we served on the council and as mayor, each of us spent hundreds of hours in budget sessions reviewing city programs and operations and doing our best to keep property taxes down. The claim of proponents that the impact analyses done by Bangor and by other communities are ‘scare tactics’ is invalidated by the simple facts. … Proponents have not produced a single piece of evidence to support their claim that such cuts can be made without significant service reductions.”

Aube, a Bangor Republican, said he hoped that the defeat of the tax cap would not be construed as an endorsement of the status quo.

“From my perspective, something needs to be done about [the state’s overall tax burden], but I don’t think this is the remedy to our dilemma,” he said.

Aube said the solution will involve addressing spending issues at all levels of government. If real reform does not occur soon, he said, “next time around we may all be back – on the other side of the issue.”

The letter states that the proposed tax cap “will damage our economy. [It] will move local decision making to the state level. It will erode our community’s ability to make decisions about our future.”

The letter also noted that most of Maine’s economic activity occurs in its larger communities and service centers, those expected to be among the hardest hit if the cap passes.

“The quality of life we enjoy in Bangor and throughout Maine is supported by locally provided services,” the mayors wrote. “… Our ability to maintain this quality of life and to guide the future of our community will be dramatically reduced under Palesky.”