Steve Cartwright’s article (“Boothbay Harbor Summer Colonies Talk Secession,” WWF, November 05) erroneously portrays the Isle of Springs as a rebellious colony not willing to pay its fair share of taxes. Not true. The Town of Boothbay Harbor is trying to do away with a 100-year-old state charter that established a very fair revenue sharing arrangement that has worked well for both the Isle of Springs and our host community, Boothbay Harbor, for over a century. We are simply trying to preserve that Charter.
The town’s position fails to recognize the unique situation of an island community. Because we are separated from the mainland, there is no realistic way for the town to provide any basic municipal services except at prohibitive cost. Even the attorney representing the town in this dispute acknowledged that, while village corporations on the mainland have diminished over the years as instruments of government, “they tend to make the most sense when they are physically disassociated from a municipality.” He went on to say in a public meeting, “These corporations are a good idea, from a practical point of view, if the municipal corporation is separated, as is Squirrel Island, from the mainland and doesnÕt have any geographic service connection with the host community.” This is precisely our point.
In 1903, the Maine legislature recognized that uniqueness and therefore codified a charter that absolves the Town of Boothbay Harbor for nearly all municipal services on the island (roads, schools, sidewalks, water supply, police and fire protection). In turn, the charter designates the Isle of Springs Association as a municipal corporation and requires it, as the next level of government, to provide these municipal services to our island community of 37 residences. Further, the Charter provides for revenue sharing between Boothbay Harbor and the Isle of Springs to provide funds for these services. Under this arrangement, Boothbay Harbor shares with the Isle of Springs approximately 60 percent of the tax revenue paid by the association and its residents. In turn, we apply every penny to our municipal expenses. In 2004, we received approximately $20,000 from the town that covered only about two-thirds of the cost of these services. (We tax ourselves to make up the difference.) Significantly, a 1979 consent decree issued by the Maine Superior Court affirmed our status as a municipal corporation and designated our community buildings as tax exempt.
Recently, town officials have characterized the 1903 charter as outmoded and dated. They claim the revenue sharing arrangement is unfair to other taxpayers and have threatened to ask the Maine legislature to rescind the 1903 charter. The Town has given us three options: (1) we could remain as a municipal corporation but without any revenue sharing; (2) we could try to secede and establish our own town; or (3) we could approach the state about de-organizing in order to become part of the state’s unorganized territory. These options essentially ask us to either leave the Town of Boothbay Harbor or pay taxes to the town without any financial support for our municipal expenses.
While we do not view any of these options as attractive, we have made a commitment to the town to explore secession and de-organization. At the same time, we are scratching our heads wondering why the town would be willing to give up all of Isle of Springs’s tax revenue should we leave.
The 1903 Charter, in establishing another level of government to take care of the island’s municipal needs, has been an effective arrangement over the years. It may be 100 years old but its rationale makes as much sense now as it did in 1903. In fact, we believe it could be a model for other island communities now in the midst of considering seceding from their host communities.
Roland Miller is president of the Isle of Springs Association.