Penobscot County seeks voice in tax reform efforts

BANGOR – The Penobscot County commissioners weren’t short on words Tuesday when it came to discussions on tax reform proposals they said would mean scant funding for their county.

Several competing measures to provide tax reform in the wake of the failed Palesky tax initiative would include tax caps on how much counties and municipalities can spend, a maximum of 2.75 percent in one and slightly less in another.

With such a cap in place, the county will be forced to ask residents what services they can do without, Commissioner Peter Baldacci, a Democrat from Bangor, said during Tuesday’s commissioners meeting.

“There’s no way we can make that cap,” said Baldacci, whose brother, Gov. John Baldacci, has forwarded a tax reform bill that would limit budget increases to no more than 2.58 percent. Baldacci and Commissioner Tom Davis, a Republican from Kenduskeag, said changes needed to be made or some expenses exempted.

The Penobscot County Jail accounts for $5.4 million of the county’s $12.6 million budget, a large chunk of the budget over which they have no control, officials said.

It’s the state and courts that determine sentences for inmates and probation officers that control revocations, thereby determining for how long inmates are incarcerated at the jail.

Meanwhile, the jail faces other high-cost issues, such as contending with the increasing presence of inmates with mental health issues, a group of people, the commissioners said, whom the state hasn’t addressed adequately.

Davis had other concerns in light of suggestions that the state may not build a new combined District and Superior court building and offices on existing county property and may even consider moving from Bangor’s downtown.

Davis said that moving the facility farther from the jail would increase transportation and security costs for inmates, potentially as much as $300,000 to $500,000 a year. He was concerned not only about the higher cost, but also what would be done if a cap were in place. “If they tell us we can’t spend that money, what are we going to use: the honor system with these prisoners and say ‘promise me you’re going to walk to the court house’?” Davis said.

State court officials have said that nothing is final, although they have said using existing county properties will drive the cost up.

The county commissioners also are seeking assurances that any efforts to consolidate and regionalize won’t be to the financial detriment of the county.

Baldacci said that consolidating services may save municipalities money, but at the expense of the regional agency. Adding a municipality to a regional dispatch center would save the city or town money, but the regional dispatch center would pick up those added costs, he said.

Although they come from different parties, Davis and Baldacci agreed that county government needed a greater say in the debate that ultimately would mold the tax reform policy.

“We’re trying to add our voice to the debate and have some improvements made to the bill that address our situation,” Baldacci said.