Is Maine friendly to retired seniors with low to moderate income?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by cebdark

Exactly. As I recall, you are in an unorganized township. BIG difference in taxes.

Where you live will depend on what you want for services.

Do you want roadside trash pickup? A well-rated (for insurance purposes) full-time fire station? Schools - specifically high school choice?

You're going to pay for it. Especially schools. The state has never matched what they were supposed to match for cost-sharing of schools in the mid-80s. Yet, the state and federal mandates continue. The town property owners pay for those. The state has pulled a lot of funding. Towns have become creative in cost-saving measures like building one consolidated school.

In an unorganized territory, you don't have those costs; therefore, you can get a lot more bang for your buck if you are retired and don't mind living without services. Some retirees think Maine is a lot cheaper depending on where they came from. Others gripe about the high costs of heating, electricity, and food.

It's all relative to where you are coming from.

Two towns near us both have PDs about 4X too big given the population of those towns. There is a local state university, and the locals LOVE busting the chops of college students. The primary focus of all those LEOs is keeping college students 'in-line'.

I follow the local news a bit, I think it is kind of funny, how they get so worked up over 20-somethings drinking beer. Clearly the towns people demand higher taxes for more police.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Two towns near us both have PDs about 4X too big given the population of those towns. There is a local state university, and the locals LOVE busting the chops of college students. The primary focus of all those LEOs is keeping college students 'in-line'.

I follow the local news a bit, I think it is kind of funny, how they get so worked up over 20-somethings drinking beer. Clearly the towns people demand higher taxes for more police.

Nowadays, they need LEO. It's a different world out there for sure. And not necessarily for the better.

I am aware of the two towns to which you are referring. And at least one of those towns has a fairly large segment of troublemakers. It's more than drinking beer unfortunately.

The other town does have it's typical demographic share of "first time off the parental leash" kids who do everything they never could do growing up under the parental thumb.

And boy, do they like their booze. Well, at least until the first time they end up in the back of the meatwagon barfing their guts up. Usually one trip to the House Of The Rising Banana Bag cures them of their tomfoolery.

[Kiwiluver]

Originally Posted by slyfox2

Was your local tax in NC a deduction on the state tax or a credit?

Credit