Maine can’t become more affordable by taking more from taxpayers
It’s no secret that Maine has become too expensive for many people to call home. Soaring housing costs and limited job opportunities have made it increasingly difficult for young people to stay, work and raise a family here. Yet instead of addressing the root causes of these challenges, the legislative majority has repeatedly chosen to spend more, demand little in the way of results and leave you with the bill.
Hello, I’m Senator Bruce Bickford of Androscoggin County. I have the honor of representing the citizens of Senate District 20, and I serve as the Senate Republican lead on the Taxation Committee.
Maine ranks fifth in overall tax burden, a measure of the share of total personal income that residents pay in state and local taxes. The average Mainer pays more than 10% of their income in taxes annually. That’s a higher percentage than in states we traditionally think of as high-tax, like New Jersey and California.
The obvious solution to this problem is to let working Mainers keep more of their hard-earned money. When Maine residents must tighten their belts to get by, so too should their government.
That’s what Republicans proposed. We wanted to lower the tax burden on Mainers by conforming to federal provisions including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and an increased senior deduction.
Regrettably, Democrats chose to take a different path, growing our state’s budget to over $12 billion. That’s a 40% increase from just five years ago. Has your household budget grown that much in five years? I know mine certainly has not.
To fund this bloated budget, Democrats have raised taxes on nearly every Mainer, from our state’s poorest residents to high earners and business owners.
Last year, they started with increased tobacco and cannabis taxes, new taxes on streaming services, reduced pension deductions for retirees and a slew of new fees. This year, they increased our state’s top tax rate to over 9%.
And it’s not just income taxes that are a problem in Maine. Our property taxes are out of control despite record payments being sent to municipalities as part of our state’s revenue sharing program, which was meant to help keep property taxes down.
In an effort to lower the property tax burden, numerous bills were introduced during the 132nd Legislature to increase the homestead exemption and provide Mainers with much-needed relief from taxes on their primary residence. One bipartisan bill to increase the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $50,000 received unanimous support in both the House and Senate. Unfortunately, since it wasn’t a priority for the legislative majority, the bill was not funded and died upon adjournment of the Legislature.
Mainers do not have to keep accepting bloated budgets they are forced to fund. We can pursue a more affordable future by setting clear priorities, carefully examining state spending and measuring government programs by the results they deliver.
Looking ahead, taxes must remain at the center of Maine’s affordability debate. Income taxes reduce workers’ take-home pay, property taxes increase the cost of remaining in a home and taxes and fees on everyday goods and services stretch household budgets even further.
The contrast is clear: Maine can continue relying on taxpayers to support an ever-growing government, or it can recognize that families, retirees and businesses need relief.
The choice is not between effective government and lower taxes. Maine can provide essential services without treating taxpayers as an unlimited source of revenue. By setting priorities, rejecting unnecessary tax increases and providing meaningful relief, we can put Maine on a more affordable and sustainable path.
Again, this has been Senator Bruce Bickford. Thank you for listening, and make sure to follow Maine Senate Republicans on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Senator Bruce Bickford represents Auburn, Durham and Poland in Androscoggin County and New Gloucester in Cumberland County. He is the Senate Republican Lead on the Legislature’s Taxation Committee, and he served in the Maine House of Representatives during the 124th – 125th Legislatures and the 127th – 130th Legislatures.
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