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The issue of levied taxes paying for infrastructure gets back to one of the ideas I mentioned at the start of this thread: I need to move to a municipality that accepts the new paradigm of legalized cannabis, for the ones that don't will stagnate in a cesspool of dwindling resources in comparison to the more progressive locales as the time goes by, much like the dry counties (concerning alcohol) have done over the years in the state where I currently reside.
Cannabis is the next big money-maker, and much like the repeal of alcohol prohibition (on December 5th of 1933) helped bring America out of the Great Depression because of new ancillary industries having been built and more tax moneys having gone to the government, so cannabis will be an economical juggernaut to help make America's economy healthy again.
The taxes on cannabis will be a great boon for Maine, and there will even be room to raise them in the future as people realize all the benefits they bring to the state, for at 10% (not including local municipal taxes, of which city and town councils currently have much bargaining power so they best get it while the getting is good . . .), Maine will start out having the lowest state cannabis tax in the country.
Here are some millage rates (percent of local taxes per $1000 of assessed value) in the middle/lower part of ME.
The figures are from 2014 and are taken from a Maine.gov site. I don't like to post direct links online--never click on them myself. So I have just posted a few. I am looking at these places myself, so this is something I will print out.
Taxes are part of my relocation and living budget, though of course not the whole financial picture by any means. But I hope this is helpful. I've stopped assuming that low housing prices mean a low COL--sometimes yes, sometimes no. Some of these places have higher taxes because they do not have a school and are therefore paying into a tuition waiver program that dates back to the 19th century.
Brunswick: 17.93
Harpswell: 5.91
Bath: 20.64
West Bath: 11.27
Topsham: 17.11
Kennebunkport: 7.39
Belfast: 18.77
Wells: 9.29
Newcastle: 15.42
Portland: 18.97
Rockland [very nice town, but. . .]: 20.66
Saco, where crime is high: 17.54
Alna: 19.30 [I had heard its taxes were lower, but no. . . ]
Boothbay: 8.74
Boothbay Harbor 8.95
Damariscotta: 16.02
HTH. . . .
ETA: Presque Isle millage rate: 23.89
Last edited by ladyalicemore; 10-18-2016 at 05:08 PM..
Gwyn, Boothbay isn't necessarily touristy--it adjoins but is a bit less populated than Boothbay Harbor, which is touristy in season and has beautiful views of the ocean.
Boothbay is an area outlying Boothbay Harbor, and it has river-views and many islands, mostly connected by bridges. Boothbay has the beautiful botanical gardens and a nice active community spirit.
It's near where my sister lives. Unfortunately, a developer is trying to glam Boothbay up into what my sis refers to as "a giant Christmas Tree Shoppe," promoting a roundabout that is about to be voted on, which would deliver tourists to his multi-million dollar Country Club and golf course. My sister doesn't like what is happening. Boothbay already has a perfectly good country club and it is not for the 1%.
She's wary about how Gov. Le Page has bought a house there and is in cahoots with the developer with the "Christmas Tree Shoppe" plans for Boothbay. So the town might not look much like Maine within five years or so. I'm pretty sure I won't move there, based on what I am hearing.
Ouch! That's real insight, Alice--the kind that only insiders have, thank you.
With the supposed rising oceans, I'm concerned with Boothbay's low elevation and proximity to the shoreline anyway.
(With the low property tax in Boothbay, no wonder that's where Le Page bought a house--the property tax there must be by design. Its low property tax does make cannabis acceptance, and the municipal tax that comes along with it, very plausible, though. . ..)
thru the years ...many locals and fisherman had the prime properties on the ocean,,,,,been in the family for generations,,,
in the 80's the value of some of these waterfront properties exploded...out of staters would pay a ridiculous amount of money for waterfront...
and many did sell...but not all, so if the mill rates were not adjusted to value, the locals could not afford the taxes....
also the populations of many coastal towns were getting much older...less kids more retirees..
that whole route one corridor from bath to Wiscasset,,,,,past boothbay.....sucks in the summertime.....bumper to bumper traffic,,
I do avoid it when possible
thru the years ...many locals and fisherman had the prime properties on the ocean,,,,,been in the family for generations,,,
in the 80's the value of some of these waterfront properties exploded...out of staters would pay a ridiculous amount of money for waterfront...
and many did sell...but not all, so if the mill rates were not adjusted to value, the locals could not afford the taxes....
also the populations of many coastal towns were getting much older...less kids more retirees..
that whole route one corridor from bath to Wiscasset,,,,,past boothbay.....sucks in the summertime.....bumper to bumper traffic,,
I do avoid it when possible
Oh goodness, traffic is a bother. So I'll tentatively look around Brunswick, even in Boothbay (where I'd stay put during summer), but I'm now 'Netting the larger towns in North Maine. I'm just getting too old to be bothered with much more than sunrises and sunsets. All the fast-life stuff, the kids (people 45 and under) can have.
Oh goodness, traffic is a bother. So I'll tentatively look around Brunswick, even in Boothbay (where I'd stay put during summer), but I'm now 'Netting the larger towns in North Maine. I'm just getting too old to be bothered with much more than sunrises and sunsets. All the fast-life stuff, the kids (people 45 and under) can have.
I grew up one town over from boothbay harbor in south Bristol.....my father is a fisherman
I know the area well,,,if you stay close off route one it isn't so bad,,,,but if you need to use route one ......it does suck
and the population triples or more..
tourists do bring monies to communities...so I don't want to be dumping on them...
I like northern maine,,,,nice people big sky country
much more for your dollar... and peaceful
I grew up one town over from boothbay harbor in south Bristol.....my father is a fisherman
I know the area well,,,if you stay close off route one it isn't so bad,,,,but if you need to use route one ......it does suck
and the population triples or more..
tourists do bring monies to communities...so I don't want to be dumping on them...
I like northern maine,,,,nice people big sky country
much more for your dollar... and peaceful
Ahh, "big sky country" . . . I like that. . ..
Maine needs tourists . . . and cannabis. I've been looking at the population decline of Maine since the early 2000's--the birth rate isn't keeping up with the morbidity rate, and apparently many of the kids that go to college there don't stick around after graduating. So Maine needs its tourists.
It also needs its cannabis, for older folks do well with it, much more so than alcohol and pharmaceuticals--the liver and kidneys can only take so much in life and finally we have to rest without the hard stuff that takes tolls on our bodies.
Actually, the state of Louisiana has a medicinal exception for cannabis, but I think it's just the CBD component alone that that state currently allows, which is quite asinine since it's the ensemble of the whole plant is what's needed for the best healing ratio.
Even "Charlotte's Web", the strain that has virtually no THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis) and is mainly CBD uses the whole plant. They've just bred the THC out of that particular strain so that the other valuable components of the cannabis plant are still available to the kids who would have to live their lives with multiple, uncontrollable seizures on a daily basis were it not for the whole cannabis plant being available to them.[/quote]
I know all about Louisiana's medicinal laws. I regretfully live here. Most of the citizens and law enforcement still believe in the "reefer madness" propaganda and refuse to admit the medicinal qualities about the plant. This is also a state with the highest incarceration in the US. Making money off non violent offenders in the privatized prison system here. And yes, we do have the CBD ointment, unfortunately it will be another 1-3 YEARS BEFORE it's available for patients. And never mind the bud smoking. They'll be quick to lock up people smoking medical marijuana WITH a medical marijuana card. And possibly take children away from responsible parents with bud on their person.
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