Property taxes are pushing seniors out of homes they have owned for 40 years. Working families are paying more every cycle for services that cost less to deliver than the bill suggests. The state has shifted the burden onto towns, and District 53 feels it more than most.
Richard will vote to:
- Raise the state’s share of K-12 education funding toward 55 percent. Maine law already requires it. The legislature has never delivered it. Every dollar the state pays is a dollar that does not come out of local property tax.
- Expand the Property Tax Fairness Credit so more working households qualify and the benefit reaches people before they lose the home.
- Protect and strengthen the Homestead Exemption so long-time residents keep a meaningful tax break on the home they actually live in.
- Close loopholes that let out-of-state landlords and large commercial properties pay a smaller effective rate than working families.
What this means for District 53
As I’ve walked around the district I’ve spoken with several people who are concerned with high property tax. We’ve enacted some good programs to help people afford their property tax payments and it’s time that people use these when needed. More so, however, we need to address disproportionately high property taxes and work to lower the property tax burden.
Paid for and authorized by Richard Goldman.