August 20 was a busy evening for Heather Sinclair, who attended two board meetings. At 5 p.m., she chaired the first school board meeting of the new year at Edgecomb Eddy. Her second meeting was an hour later with the select committee at City Hall. Although they were different meetings, both had a similar topic: tax legislation for 2024.
At the school meeting, Sinclair led a discussion that stemmed from comments made by the councilors on Aug. 6. Sinclair told her two colleagues on the school committee that she was concerned about what the councilors and residents were saying about the school’s future. In response, the school committee drafted eight questions for the councilors. Sinclair left the school committee meeting early to present the questions in written form to the councilors, who began their meeting at 6 p.m.
There was no formal discussion of the school board’s eight questions, however. Instead, Sinclair participated in the second part of addressing citizens on their tax bills. A dozen property owners, most of them nonresidents, discussed how the 36% tax rate increase affected their budgets. The taxpayers who spoke were all over the age of 70. Some lived in Edgecomb for a few weeks each year, some longer. Others, like 80-year-old Nort Fowler, live in Edgecomb year-round. He chaired the budget committee for several years and has lived in Edgecomb since 2004.
His message was simple. “The bottom line is that the current budget is unsustainable, and you can make all kinds of arguments, but the people who actually have to pay the taxes can’t,” he said. Fowler acknowledged that residents take pride in the school’s stellar reputation, but recent academic scores have declined. He based his claim on data from the Maine Department of Education and the National Center of Education Statistics. “People often say what a great school we have, and we’re lucky to have it,” he said. “But in a current comparison with other schools on the coast, Boothbay is the only town that’s doing worse, and that’s only by a couple of percentage points. For whatever reason, we’re not getting the return that other towns are getting. What I do know is that I can’t keep paying $20,000 a year in taxes to Edgecomb,” he said.
Fowler reported Friendship as the best school on the Mid-Coast, with Southport, Great Salt Bay and Georgetown performing better than Edgecomb Eddy.
Eddie Stetson, 75, lives on River Road as a seasonal resident. His other home is in Little Compton, Rhode Island. Stetson described both communities as similar in that they are small coastal villages. He described the Rhode Island location as a place with a “high-performing school.” He described his properties in Maine and Rhode Island as similar, but the tax bills were not. He reported that his Edgecomb tax bill was over $8,400 and his Rhode Island tax bill was over $2,900. “I don’t understand it,” he said. “I’m paying $5,483 more for a property that’s worth $244,000 less. I’m retired. That’s going to drive people away. I’d love to keep the property in my family for another 200 years for my three sons, but I’m not sure I can.”
Sinclair believes taxpayers are struggling with the injustices of the current tax system. It has been 17 years since Edgecomb conducted a revaluation of city properties. In her view, many residents are paying excessive taxes while other properties are severely undervalued. City councilors are preparing a revaluation that will begin in 2025 and be completed in 2026.
Sinclair further explained to seasonal residents that Maine is one of the few states that funds education primarily through property taxes. “We have a situation where many homes are highly valued, but the owners have little money. Something needs to change in the education funding formula,” she said.
A resident then suggested they should contact Stephanie Hawke or Holly Stover to do something about it. Sinclair responded that these conversations have been relayed to current and former legislators for years. After the meeting, Sinclair presented the councilors with the eight questions that had been formulated at the school board’s earlier meeting. The meeting ended with the councilors seeking volunteers to join a committee that will look for ways to reduce municipal and education spending. The councilors will likely discuss the school board’s questions at a future meeting.
The School Committee is seeking answers to eight questions. #1: What steps will the Select Committee take to draw public attention to and encourage attendance at School Committee meetings? #2: What process will the Select Committee use to inform the School Committee of school-related issues or discussions that arise at other Edgecomb meetings? #3: What changes will the Select Committee propose to the budget process? #4: What reports and/or recommendations does the Select Committee typically receive from the Budget Committee? #5: Could the School Committee receive copies of all such Budget Committee reports and/or be invited to all meetings at which such reports are presented?
#6: Is the Select Board aware that the AOS 98 Board recently invited Select members to participate in regionalization discussions? #7: How can the school and Select Boards work together to participate in future school restructuring discussions? #8: Could the Select Board prepare information for the public on the impact of the proposed reassessment on tax rates?
“The newly appointed Edgecomb School Committee looks forward to engaging with the School Board and local residents on all matters of importance. We invite the public to comment and attend meetings and encourage written communication with the School Board and school administration,” Sinclair wrote.
The Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, September 3rd, at 6 p.m. in the conference room.
