Vote for TABOR II and lets take back control and put it in the hands of the citizens where it belongs. We as landowners have rights and those rights are afforded to us as citizens and by those who fought for freedom. It is just unamerican to be attempting to control anothers property and borders on being a communist.
From BDN 10-17-09
SANGERVILLE, Maine — The Sangerville Planning Board has found the state’s new guidelines for municipal shoreland zoning ordinances not to its liking.
The board, which took its concerns about the new regulations to selectmen Tuesday, was advised to poll officials in surrounding towns to gauge the support or nonsupport of the new guidelines. It also was suggested that the planning board relay its concerns to local legislators and senators.
The legal deadline for towns to have updated their shoreland zoning ordinances was July 1, 2009, according to Stephanie MacLagan, the Department of Environmental Protection’s shoreland zoning coordinator. If a town has not adopted its own ordinance, a state ordinance will be imposed, she said Friday.
The DEP is working toward the state-imposed ordinance, but it will take time before it is adopted because of the mapping requirements, she noted. In the interim, towns can continue to work on their documents, she said. MacLagan said even if the state imposes an ordinance, towns later could adopt their own ordinance and maps if the information provided is acceptable to the DEP.
The Sangerville Planning Board recommended to selectmen this week that residents vote on the new guidelines at the annual town meeting.
Individually, the planning board members had a variety of concerns, including the fact that the Resource Protection District was enlarged, yet the town had no way to identify the affected areas without a map of the General Development and Timber Harvesting districts, according to planning board Chairman Gerald Peters. He said the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife had provided the town with a map of wildlife protection areas. In addition, the board believes the changes make it more restrictive for landowners, who won’t enjoy the benefits they once had, he said Friday.
Planning board member Irving McNaughton said the DEP has changed the rules six times since 1990. “I expect the state will continue to impose changes and it’s time for the town to say, ‘No, enough is enough,’” McNaughton said Friday.
“They are just too restrictive,” he said of the changes. He added that the town couldn’t afford the additional administrative costs.
Peters, who expects the DEP will impose the new changes on the town regardless of the board’s actions, predicted that it would cost three times as much to enforce the changes. He said the code enforcement officer receives only $3,000 for the job and this would triple his work.
MacLagan said she did not feel the new amendments would impose an additional financial burden on communities. She said the Sangerville board has not been “very communicative” with her. Of the 453 Maine communities, only 50, including Sangerville, are “missing in action,” she said. That means they haven’t contacted the DEP about the status of the review process, she said.
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Thanks for the update, Lorin. I've been missing postings from you.
ReplyDeleteAs you will see on my blog - www.Eddingtonnews.blogspot.com - I've changed my position on Q.2 but only because I think it's a badly written bill (law). No sense in adding ANOTHER one. The Heritage Foundation needs to go back and write a law that reduces the excise tax portion of the registration fee for ALL cars. PERIOD. And that includes those older than six years.
I'll be working on TABOR II this week. Today it's Q.1 on the menu.
I think your info on the State's attempt to control land use is "right on." Especially when this state is doing so much to hinder the ability of the people who live in northern and eastern Maine to be able to financially survive in the very areas affected by the controls the State is trying to assert. If someone owns the land, that person should have the ability (within reason) to use the land as fits his/her objective - and not be taxed right off it.
I paid a lot for my shoreline property (and the seller had to give 3 percent of his proceeds to the state because he was no longer a Maine resident) and I am taxed beyond reason per foot for that shoreline every single year - even though there are restrictions on how I can manage it (to the point it is difficult to access the water or protect any watercraft I try to have.
On the other hand, neither the state nor local government want to do a thing about the water run-off created by DOT that is destroying two of the lots next to me caused by water running down from Route 9 into Davis Pond, including ground water from the former junk yard across Route 9 and not that far from my lot and two lots belonging to members of my family next door! So much for this State's REAL concern re: protecting the land or water resources.
My feelings: land owners can and will do more to protect land use than the state government knows how or will ever do.
Just a few thoughts on THAT subject.
R.
As to TABOR II and Property taxes, property taxes wouldn't need to be increased EVERY YEAR if state government were more supportive (and less taxing) on new and small businesses. That way there would be more businesses in the tax base and there'd be less of a burden on the state's home owners to carry state government on their backs.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the individual voters are more savey about what we (collectively) need to be spending our tax money on than any elected representive who can spend someone else's money far too easily and without any accountability (until they come up for re-election). It's why I'm not voting for ANY MORE Bonds for anything. We're already in God-awful debt in this state. Every time we turn around we hear Augusta threaten (or promise) to cut education spending if we put the reins on the politicans.
Didn't we just approve a bond a few years ago for roads and bridges? Did you see any improvements in those areas around here? See any construction with signs saying this was our Bond money at work? I didn't. If there was anything going on, it was down in the Portland/Augusta/Lewiston region for sure. But they took our money from here. Must have because I didn't see any shortage of tax collection in this area.
So now they want us to approve another Bond for roads and bridges. No - no - no. There's no more money.
Let's say TABOR II passes. It just means WE, THE PEOPLE will decide what's important enough for any increases in taxes. Public safety. If it's needed. OK. Education (where? and only in the classroom - not administration. And that needs to be spelled out). Not at the state government level!. Let those legislators give up some of their reirement benefits first - benefits they collect even after one term!). See what I mean?
Of course that will require the voters to pay attention, get educated on the issues whenever there are decisions to be made - AND VOTE. (Now that's a radical idea around some neighborhood - but none of them infer the voters aren't capable of making better decisions than any of these state politicans who are sleeping much too close to the special interest groups.)
As far as consolidating our town governments or SAD63 school costs are concerned - didn't Clifton and Eddington used to be one town? If so, why did they split? Would we be better off considering consolidating our governments and thereby our government functions/costs? Don't forget, Audrey Fox used to be the Eddington Town Manager. And everything I've heard is that she was one dynamo. Had everything done on time and with less staff than is in that office now - and with fewer computers, etc.
Re: the school situation, there are some DEFINITE changes needed there, even if SAD63 didn't consolidate with any other district. I already see places where costs could be reduced without lowering the standard of education. We just need to get more people in our communities involved other than Holden.
Have you ever noticed who shows up at the May Public Hearing on the proposed budget? Ever noticed who always votes solidly for whatever increases are in the budget? And talk to me about WHY we are paying over $75,000.00 PLUS benefits for a Business Manager for a district with less than 900 students, not to mention an additional part-time staff person to help her out AND contracting out the payroll for another $6,500.00? The previous Business Manager dealt with approximately the same number of staff, did the payroll herself and for a salary less than half of what the current Business Manager is receiving. And she got to work at 8am and stayed the entire day.....
Makes you wonder, doesn't it...
R.