Maine.gov
In this week’s newsletter: The governor’s historic education funding proposal; the Maine State Chamber of Commerce organizes anti-public power group; pandemic-induced gas tax losses; the anti-vax side hustle; no more guests for a GOP state lawmaker; and the national media’s obsession with Jared Golden’s tattoos.
Gov. Janet Mills sounded almost triumphant when she announced a change to the state’s next two-year budget that will pump an additional $187 million into local schools. I think it s a mission accomplished for the state of Maine that we ve finally reached that goal, she said. We ve tinkered with it for years and we ve never gotten close. And we re not only close today, we ve gotten there.
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Brunswick officials adopt $75 million budget
As of now, $50.6 million of the total $75 million budget will be sourced from taxpayers.
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Brunswick officials adopted a $75 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year Thursday, which will increase the town’s tax rate impact by 3.73% if residents approve the school budget articles in next month’s referendum vote.
Homeowners would see a 76-cent raise of their property taxes, bringing the mil rate to $21.13 per $1,000 assessed property value, if the budget passes. This means a property tax bill for a $200,000 home would be $4,226 a $152 increase from last year.
Approximately $50.6 million of the budget is expected to be sourced from taxpayers.
Mills proposes major new spending plan with revenue surplus
Gov. Mills proposal makes an investment in Maine public schools and meets the state’s obligation to pay 55% of the cost of K-12 education Author: Don Carrigan Updated: 9:56 PM EDT May 12, 2021
AUGUSTA, Maine Gov. Janet Mills sounded excited Wednesday, as she announced a plan to do what her two immediate predecessors could not comply with the will of Maine voters.
“Seventeen years ago, Maine voters overwhelmingly supported a bill to require the state to pay 55 percent of the cost of public education. Today, at long last, we fulfill that commitment, she said during a virtual press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Mills says the local education funding is long overdue because it brings the state's share to 55%, a threshold mandated by voters 17 years ago but never achieved in subsequent state budgets.
Maine.gov
Maine Governor Janet Mills today touted a $187 million investment in public education as a central feature of her supplemental budget proposal.
The governor s plan would bring the state s next two-year budget to $8.8 billion and build on a baseline budget that Democrats in the Legislature passed in March.
Mills says the local education funding is long overdue because it brings the state s share to 55%, a threshold mandated by voters 17 years ago but never achieved in subsequent state budgets. I think it s a mission accomplished for the state of Maine that we ve finally reached that goal, Mills said. We ve tinkered with it for years and we ve never gotten close. And we re not only close today, we ve gotten there.