Once again, the Maine Legislature has acted on behalf of the coast’s beleaguered middle-income property taxpayers, particularly those with connections to the fishing industry.
L.D. 299, which passed both houses unanimously, revives an idea that failed several years ago in a statewide referendum: amending the state constitution to allow “current use” taxing of property used in connection with the commercial fishing industry. A successful referendum vote would add fishing-related properties to the three categories already qualifying: farms and open space, timberland and land used for game management.
As everyone knows, taxation in a state (where the government can’t print money or run a deficit) is a zero-sum game. A tax break here usually means an increase there; unless we drastically cut the budget somewhere (think schools, roads, fire protection, social services), when someone’s bill goes down, someone else’s bill goes up. Pretty simple.
But preserving the Maine coast as we’ve known it for the past few centuries isn’t simple at all. It will take a lot more than a tax break to stem the tide of rising real estate values and the taxes they bring. Current use taxation for fishing families won’t prevent people from selling their properties to ever-higher bidders (and paying the penalties that would be required under L.D. 299) as market forces dictate; it won’t prevent the continued erosion of public access to the coast and its limited supply of working waterfront. It won’t prevent the gentrification of harbors where generations of Mainers have earned their living – the process by which they become theme parks for the entertainment of tourists.
Still, holding a statewide vote in favor of expanding current use taxation to help the fishing industry is a good start and deserves support. The campaign leading up to it will offer a chance to educate voters on the importance of fair taxation, public access and the value of working waterfronts – as well as the need to proceed on many other fronts to protect core Maine values.