BANGOR, Maine — Facing an unexpected potential $1.1 million shortfall in state funding, city councilors discussed their three options should a drastic cut in general assistance reimbursement by the state occur.
And judging from their reactions and public comments at a budget workshop Thursday afternoon, all three are unpopular and distasteful.
“It’s a reality we must face, and an ugly one at that,” said Councilor Cary Weston. “This is not a program I am in favor of keeping. It’s a program I’m in favor of drastically changing, but the reality is this: 1.1 million dollars is going to be coming out of our pockets one way or another if this doesn’t change.”
“This” is Gov. Paul LePage’s recent line-item veto of a 5 percent cut in the level of reimbursement funding by the state to five “service center” cities — Bangor, Lewiston, Portland, Auburn and Augusta. Maine now reimburses 50 percent of their general assistance expenditures to all municipalities and 90 percent of city’s GA expenditures above the $750,000 mark.
LePage’s veto means that higher rate could fall back all the way to 50 percent, leaving Bangor with a projected $1.1 million decrease in expected state funds.
General assistance is city welfare services in areas such as housing, food, fuel and basic living necessities which the state requires service centers to provide to disadvantaged people.
City Manager Cathy Conlow presented the seven councilors present – Geoffrey Gratwick and Joe Baldacci were unable to attend — with three options if the higher GA reimbursement rate goes away: raise property taxes 46 cents on the mill rate; cut nonmandated services such as parks and recreation, the public library, police and fire; or defy state statute by capping or limiting GA expenditures.
Councilor Sue Hawes seemed to favor the third option, which some councilors referred to as the “nuclear” one.
“Can we limit the hours, close the doors completely, limit how much we give? Everything’s been no, no, no so far,” said Hawes, who added that a lot can change between now and the end of June when the city has to vote on a budget. “I don’t think any municipality should be put in that position, but if we have to go there to get something done for the good of the whole state and not just Bangor… maybe we have to do that.”
James Gallant said he would not vote for a tax increase, no matter what. Fellow Councilor Pat Blanchette was less resolute.
“I know where it’s coming from and I’m not happy. It’s coming from the second floor in Augusta,” she said. “But we really have very little choice. I will never say I won’t raise taxes, because that is a false promise and we very well may have to.”
Councilors Nelson Durgin and Ben Sprague seemed more amenable to investigating potential cuts.
“The idea of a nuclear option … sounds appealing, but in my mind, it’s just irresponsible governing. It’s not what we were elected to do,” said Sprague. “The relationship between the state is supposed to be a symbiotic one. It doesn’t always feel that way, especially lately.
“I would rather see a more creative option, if we do have a tax increase, to call it something like the Maine State House failure tax. Or maybe what we need to do is look more closely at our own budget.”
Durgin agreed.
“If it means we have to make some cuts somewhere or change the way we deliver services, than we have to look at that,” Durgin said. “We have to send a strong message to Augusta as to what this is doing to service centers and we also have to do the best job we can to scrub down this budget and see what we can find to free up dollars to take care of the things we’re mandated to do and not go nuclear.”
Councilor Charlie Longo tried to come up with a real cost to Bangor taxpayers.
“According to my calculator, if the average assessed value of a Bangor home is around $150,000, a 46-cent mill rate increase would be about another $69 for the average homeowners due to this,” he said.
Both Reps. Doug Damon, R-Bangor, and Adam Goode, D-Bangor — who Weston lauded for their efforts in resisting drastic cuts in GA reimbursement to service centers — attended the session.
“I feel like the decision going from 90 to 85 percent reimbursement with the appropriations budget and an understanding we’d be going no further, it was a good deal for Bangor,” said Goode.
Goode added that he thought the notion that anyone in Augusta would cut GA or other funding to Bangor or other cities because of a perceived political leaning was ridiculous. He was reacting to comments Durgin heard on a recent radio show advancing such a theory.
“There are five of you service centers and 235 of them and I found little sympathy from them,” said Damon. “Generally, those towns’ representatives felt the cities like Bangor and Portland were not doing all they could do to control the costs of general assistance.”
If it stands, Weston said the cut represents an unfunded mandate.
“It’s really quite a dire situation, quite honestly,” said Weston. “If you’re going to mandate that city taxpayers keep an open checkbook with no local control, then you need to continue funding it as is and let us look at efficiencies, or give us local control and allow us to decrease local funding.
“But it can’t be both ways. That’s an unfunded mandate we won’t accept.”
Weston: “This is not a program I am in favor of keeping.”
Wow…
“This is not a program I am in favor of keeping. It’s a program I’m in
favor of drastically changing, but the reality is this: 1.1 million
dollars is going to be coming out of our pockets one way or another if
this doesn’t change.”
He doesn’t say “This is not a program I am in favor of keeping in its current form.” He outright says he doesn’t favor keeping the program.
His complaint with the governor stems from the fact that state law requires the city to provide general assistance, and the governor wants to reduce drastically how much the state reimburses the city.
Based on “This is not a program I am in favor of keeping,” it’s fair to say Weston would rather eliminate general assistance altogether. After all, it’s not a program he’s in favor of keeping.
To that, I say “Wow.”
I think the complaint is the quote you used, while accurate is taken out of context. The same way Governor Romney’s “I like being able to fire people” has been quoted over and over without the rest of the quote “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me. You know, if someone doesn’t give me a good service that I need, I want to say I’m going to go get someone else to provide that service to me.”
He reads these postings. How about we let him speak for himself. If he thinks general assistance should be eliminated, I’d like for him to say it.
“This is not a program I am in favor of keeping.”
ether way it is tax payer money
I suggest that they request Senator Farnham to advocate for her party’s leadership to explain why they failed their constitutionally obligated requirement to act on the governor’s line item vetoes, polling which republican senators and representatives were in favor of reconvening and which were not, and disregarding all other concerned representatives, and the Speaker still has not released the house’s caucus results clearly demonstrates that it may be safe to assume that the Speaker and the President of the Senate were aware prior to the Governor’s veto.
That’s not a legislative action, that is a caucus action, and is not living up to the intent of the constitutional amendment we voted on, and people need to remember come November what happened this past week. They should be ashamed, all senators voted for passage of that budget, it was unanimous and the Republicans let us down………hard!
Republicans did exactly what their voters want them to do. If they don’t do that they most certainly will not get re-elected and no matter how much Democrats whine they know it.
They did exactly what the party wanted comrade. Come November the Republican experiment is over.
Do you even know that the budget was passed in unanimous and bipartisan votes in both houses. The rank and file republicans tried to do what their constituents wanted, LePage and the Republican leadership did not. And it may well cost them their legislative seats.
I hope it does, if they can’t defend their hard work and let it go for not, then they don’t belong there.
I’m pretty sure the republicans residing in Bangor don’t want their property taxes to go up.
It looks like Senator Farnham did try to reconvene. The results of the caucus poll shows that she was only one of four who wanted to reconvene. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-gyD7HnIcJt8ZWgt3Wp1nHWNRTDMG0bWowc8P50Jpv0/edit
Hopefully she will be looking to resolve the situation when they work on the next supplemental budget.
Which is exactly why I suggested that they speak with Senator Farnham, one of the few of the majority who tried to do the right thing, and deserves answers as to why and how a party caucus can be equated to “legislative action”…………..legislative action obviously involves the entire legislature as a body, not only certain members. In my opinion, this approach may very well be unconstitutional and in need of remedy.
Here’s a novel idea. Stop giving free food and housing to convicted child molesters. Bangor is the sex offender capital of Maine.
Are you suggesting that we should now allow people to starve to death on the street? If so, you might consider a move to Iran, where the nations values line up well with yours.
Yes, I think spending our tax dollars on hungry children is FAR better than feeding and housing convicted child molesters. Child molesters, in my opinion, deserve the death penalty because they ruin lives. An eye for an eye. Coddling them with free food, clothing and housing just rewards their behavior, and encourages them to keep molesting.
I will pay $69 dollars a year more to keep my police, fire, and EMS intact … option three, “defy state statute by capping or limiting GA expenditures,” seem like the best option/message to me.
Right there with you – my house is valued a little less, so I am looking about about $53 more a year to keep all these departments intact (and possibly many jobs locally). Thank goodness I live near a fire hydrant, but hey, if the fire department is gone, not going to help me much. And yes, by all means, even if you can’t cut the GA program, let’s reorganize/fix some of the issues with it if we have to keep it. A gentleman commented yesterday about mandating residency of that town for x-days before you could apply – is that allowable? I liked that idea.
I also don’t understand what is so “nuclear” about that option
And invite a lawsuit.
Chucky Longo brought his calculator…this problem should be resolved quickly.
-In response to a representative from the Hammond St. Senior Center, who was requesting city grant money, Longo asked whether the senior center would “be willing to drop its age requirements and stop discriminating against young people.”
Moving on to the next most intellectually deficient councilors: Gratwick and Baldacci (both absent this meeting); I suggest that they combine their respective medical and legal minds to concoct a solution.
Lastly, where is Stephen King? The highest selling American author of all-time not only resides in our great city but is a very loud-mouthed leftist. Considering book royalties from “Carrie” still roll in, I would think he would leave his mansion for once and actually put up a check…oh well, I know we can see him next at UMaine when Obama’s in town calling for higher taxes and social justice. Well Stephen, here is your opportunity.
Stop asking for bailout from people who are not required to help us. Stephen King does enough for this city and state..
i just want him to pay his fair share. he built a baseball field years ago…what since then besides political activism?
Maybe you should look into the King Foundation sometime and see what is gives out in grant money each year.
The aquatics center on 13th Street. The lights on Bangor High’s soccer fields. Numerous scholarships. I could go on and on. How is pressuring people to donate to the causes you want them to any different than taxation (which raises your blood pressure about 60 points)?
Sounds like you are advocating a Buffet Rule on Mr. King.
Stephen King would be the first to support a Buffet rule. He has been outspoken with regard to his own tax situation and believes strongly in a progressive tax structure without the loopholes. It could just as easily have become the King Rule instead of the Buffet Rule.
Probably, But it wouldn’t apply to him anyway.
Government already has the Buffet Rule….an All You Can Eat Buffet!
I guess you missed the irony. The typical refrain nowadays is to go after the rich. I think he has done a lot for Bangor and don’t think that he or anyone else who is wealthy (however that is defined) should be demonized.
As you pointed out we all too often overlook how much the wealthy contribute in charity and taxes.
His fair share are the taxes he pays to live here.. he doesn’t owe anything more then that, just because he has the money doesn’t mean he owes Bangor a thing..
Agreed
Let’s go all the way, when rich people go to the movies they should pay $500.00, when they register their cars..say at least $10,000.00- and if they buy something at the mall let’s charge them a 30% tax instead of 5%.Dog tags for their pet should be at least $300.00 Let’s really nail these guys to the wall. Oh yea…their Big Mac should be all of $100.00 bill.
In defense of Steven King, he’s never hesitated to put his money where his mouth is.
I missed that Longo comment about the Senior Center. I generally watch the council meetings. He may well be the most ill-informed person to ever sit in a councilors chair. “A senior Center discriminating against younger people. ” ROFL
Sprague and Gallant weren’t laughing. The footage isn’t that good but it is clear when some of the council members are rolling thier eyes saying “how can I even respond to that”. Imagine having a Harvard degree, a HARVARD degree and listening to such conversation? Sorry Ben.
If I had 5 bucks for every stupid comment I heard at Harvard I could cover the budget gap myself.
You have no idea what Steve does for Bangor. BTW, he is never in his “Mansion”. He spends about 8 days per year in Bangor (otherwise in Western ME. or FL. but still claims residency here against the advice of every financial planner or accountant on his payroll. Aside from our political differences, I appreciate all he has doen for this city, and have a huge amount of respect for him as a person. The list of entities he has given to in Bangor is too long to list.
I guessed you missed the irony as well…
“I guess you missed the irony. The typical refrain nowadays is to go after the rich. I think he has done a lot for Bangor and don’t think that he or anyone else who is wealthy (however that is defined) should be demonized.
As you pointed out we all too often overlook how much the wealthy contribute in charity and taxes.”
That doesn’t sound like “irony”
So… if Bangor goes with the “nuclear option” the people who are eligible for GA under the law will (rightfully) sue the city of Bangor for being in violation of state laws.
That means our governor will have TWO lawsuits he’s responsible for – one being the City of Millinocket vs. the State of Maine and the other being GA recepients vs. the City of Bangor. Or possibly even three – the City of Bangor vs. the State of Maine, for failing to reimburse the city at the previously agreed upon level.
How much money is “our” governor really going to save us by the time we pay the lawyers?
You are missing the point entirely. It isn’t about savings at all. It is about advancing a flawed ideology. Doesn’t it seem strange that the only department we ever hear about is DHHS? Apparently every single other department in Maine Government is running just as smooth as can be. They have all the money they need. They don’t have any problems at all. If one is to believe the radical right tea party supported republicans if we were somehow able to make all of the poor, sick, disabled and elderly disappear we would be living in a perfect world. Anyone who actually believes that needs some professional mental health help. Opps I forgot we closed all of those places didn’t we.
Don’t forget the money we wasted on the mural fiasco.
Maybe Bangor and other mentioned municipalities (as well as all others receiving GA assistance) should consider their own cuts in GA spending and like the Gov. has initiated, take a look at those that are actually receiving theses benefits & instead of having disagreement over eligibility requirements, having an open checkbook or instead of allowing ongoing assistance without oversight clear up who are actually the “disadvantaged” and try reining in the costs for a change…..many are claiming that our local taxes are going to increase…..in reality if the state “cuts” or decreases it’s spending then people’s tax burden to Augusta will be lessened but not noticed if local gov’t spending does not follow in the same…..these programs should be funded and administered by local gov’t instead of by the employed/elect in Augusta, IMHO…..
Nuclear option: Bangor city councilors enact a local income tax to pay for its poor.
Can’t do it without permission from the Legislature and the governor.
Cities like Bangor, Portland, Lewiston need to pay for their own. Why should my tax money go to support these big cities that attract the needy because of the services offered to them? We have enough to pay for, and have a hard time doing it. Time to stop the subsidies to the big cities.
small towns have the same GA just there are less people in the small towns that actually need the help.
They move to places like Bangor to get the assistance. That is the reason the budget is out sized.
Is it logical to assume that people who cant provide life’s necessities can somehow afford to move? Your statement reminds me of the comic Sam Kennison who screamed “if the Ethiopians are starving,MOVE “. Good for a laugh,but not based in reality.
Actually that is the case. It is you my friend that misunderstands. Bangor is considered a “service community”. Officially designated by the State along with a few others Lewiston & Portland among them. Ostensibly we (Bangor) are to be provided state monies to be dispensed to those that can find their way here. That is the problem We still have the responsibility with only a smaller portion of state money to do the job with. Read a bit.
As for your Ethiopian analogy. It is very common for masses of people to migrate to get better access to food. It happens all the time. Right now there are upwards of 40 million refugees worldwide seeking safety shelter and food. Not a laughing matter.
We here in Bangor have a hard time paying for it, too. That and all the other things that go along with a large population on GA (other social services, bus system, increased police).
I’m okay with you not paying into the pot, but only if you agree to never set foot in a “service center community”, use any services provided from such a location, or use any product produced in or shipped via a service center. I think you’ll find thats harder than it sounds.
we are subsudizing the big cities because the smaller communities are handing out bus tickets and asking their deprived citizens to shack up in these big cities and apply for GA. Argue all you want amongst yourselves, but we all know this is going on: Hampden, Hermon, Glenburn, Holden, Old Town, Orono, Bucksport, Carmel, Corinth, Brewer, Charleston have citizens who need help – I would like some numbers on the percentage of people who “move” to Bangor because either it’s advised, or there isn’t enough funds in their town to support a GA program like the big cities. We will as a city pay for our own when everyone stops sending theirs here.
I wasn’t aware that Glenburn had bus service to Bangor…
The money is already there, the city has a wooping 41 millon dollar school budget, cut the school budget by 8 millon yrly and its fixed with a so called surplus
Gallants zero flexibility approach is the very mentality that got us into the situation we now face. No one is well served by representatives who dig in to a particular ideology and refuse to budge.
Mr. Bangorian I am flexible, I however really dont want to see our hard working people taxed more and more and more, there are areas to streamline in our city that I would favor before raising taxes.
Digging in and refusing to budge is not flexible and it does nothing to serve the people of Bangor (aside from appeasing the handful of Tea-Party types that helped you get elected). We need real leadership and smart policy decisions, not partisan sandbagging.
Bangorian said – “No one is well served by representatives who dig in to a particular ideology and refuse to budge.”
Did you know you just described the current governor of Maine? Not to worry his taxes in Florida will not go up…..
Longo wants to raise our property taxes? Does Longo pay property taxes at all? Is he a property owner? If he is not a property owner, will he volunteerily pay into the property tax pool of money? Just like congress, he wants to place an imposition on us that he is exempt from?
No he doesn’t. He has no understanding of the relationship between the city property owners and the various government entities that serve us.
If he rents, he helps his landlord pay the property tax.
Lets not forget that there are people that actually need the help. Say if someone is apply for SSI/SSDI and they have no money then they need some help with living expenses. BUT in these SSI/SSDI cases the person recieveing the GA has to sign a piece of paper more or less a lien paper saying that when they get approved for SSI/SSDI that the local GA that helped them gets paid back in FULL before the person gets what they are getting in backwards payments from SSI/SSDI !! Now how many of you knew that???
I did. But apparently the governor doesn’t know this (the paper has reported that he wants to cap housing assistance from general assistance to 90 days, no exceptions). Nor do most of those commenting here.
In Bangor, if you aren’t applying for Social Security, you have to do work fare to get general assistance. It’s not “free” money to those who need it. Nor is it the kind of lifestyle anyone would prefer over having gainful employment.
Perhaps if Longo had not voted to spend 25 thousand of taxpayers money on moving the monument in w. market square, then maybe we could afford to support people who do not work for a living.
There’s the result of the cuts to the needy. A rise in property tax and vital services.
Ironic isn’t it….
Service centers will bear the brunt of the governor’s line item veto. The service centers can verify employment and bank balances (I know Portland does) to determine if people are eligible. However, they cannot decide who moves into the service center communities. Many of the people receiving benefits in the service center communities are there because they moved from the rural communities seeking jobs. The service center communities are also where the employment opportunities are. In addition, those communities are also where services (and many non-profits who do not pay property taxes) are located.
Perhaps the service center communities should buy bus tickets back to the individuals home town? This is a statewide problem with a lot of growth in the costs due to the worst recession in many years!
This is a no brainer. We can use some of the 2.5 million we get each year from the slots; oh, I forgot, we are spending that for the next 20 years on a new basketball arena. Well, I guess we are going to have to cut funding to the schools or raise taxes.