Carol Palesky, undeterred by the recent failure of her 1 percent property tax cap referendum, on Tuesday announced a “more moderate” alternative she hopes will make it to the November 2006 ballot.

The new plan, the language of which is on its way to the Secretary of State’s Office for approval, would cap property taxes at 1.5 percent and prohibit towns from adding or cutting teachers and police, fire and rescue personnel, unless there are corresponding changes in population as confirmed by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maine Department of Education.

The latter requirement was designed to counter opponents, who Palesky, a Topsham accountant, said used “scare tactics” during the last campaign to convince voters her plan would put teachers and other public employees out of work.

The new plan also would roll back property values to 2002 levels, as opposed to 1997, the date in Palesky’s original referendum. The value could then be adjusted by a maximum of 2 percent each year.

Voters handily defeated Palesky’s 2004 referendum after opponents waged an intense campaign against it. Opponents warned of severe cuts to local budgets if the measure were to pass.

Before Palesky’s new measure can make it on the 2006 ballot, she must submit 50,519 valid signatures by late next year, depending on when state officials approve the referendum’s language.

The Tuesday release of Palesky’s new tax plan coincided with that of Gov. John Baldacci, who proposed a host of spending caps and gradual increases in state funding for education to ease Maine’s high property tax burden.

Palesky called Baldacci’s approach the “same old, same old,” and vowed to pursue the 2006 referendum even if the Legislature enacts the governor’s plan.

“[Baldacci] is just trying to pull things so it looks like tax reform,” she said.

Baldacci spokesman Lee Umphrey, upon learning of Palesky’s renewed efforts, invited the longtime tax advocate to participate in the legislative process.

“The governor hopes that Carol Palesky will attend the meetings of the special committee [on tax reform] and offer her ideas,” Umphrey said. “She should become part of the process, not part of the problem.”