To: The Maine State House, The Maine State Senate, and Governor Janet Mills
School funding from state revenues
All education funding in the state of Maine shall be derived from state general sales taxes and income taxes and not from local property taxes, except as follows; non-resident property owners shall be taxed based on their US federal income tax return and failing that on the value of their property at a rate to be determined by town government.
Derived School Revenue shall be apportioned equally to all students in the state as modified by the relative cost of each education level.
Derived School Revenue shall be apportioned equally to all students in the state as modified by the relative cost of each education level.
Why is this important?
The use of real estate taxes to fund schools is completely regressive It forces people to pay with no relationship to their ability to pay. This regressive tax pushes the elderly and persons of reduced income out of their homes. It makes the cost of home ownership much higher and thus deprives lower income families of the opportunity to own a home. It depresses the real estate market by raising the cost of ownership.