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Tax committee votes out notorious “camp tax” bill

6/9/2022

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Bill would have imposed fees or local option taxes on Mainers’ second homes

In the Legislature, there’s always a first. That proved to be true for LD 1337, An Act to Increase Affordable Housing and Reduce Property Taxes Through an Impact Fee on Vacant Residences, otherwise known as the “Camp Tax” bill.
Sponsored by Rep. Chris Kessler (D-South Portland), the bill was voted down 31-3 in the Senate and 76-53 in the House. In the Taxation committee, the bill was voted along party lines with Sen. Ben Chipman (D-Cumberland), Sen. Nate Libby (D-Androscoggin), Rep. Maureen Terry (D-Gorham), Rep. Joe Perry (D-Bangor), Rep. Lori Gramlich (D-Old Orchard Beach), Rep. Melanie Sachs (D-Freeport), Rep. Ben Collings (D-Portland), and Rep. Ann Matlack (D-St. George) voting “ought to pass as amended,” and Sen. Matt Pouliot (R-Kennebec), Rep. Bickford (R-Auburn), Rep. Micky Carmichael (R-Greenbush), and Rep. Joel Stetkis (R-Canaan) voting “ought not to pass.”

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce opposed this legislation because it was nothing more than a local option tax bill. It would have allowed a municipality to essentially enact a local option fee / tax on vacant residential property (residential property that is not occupied by a permanent resident). This new fee or tax could have been applied to Mainers’ camps or second homes. The so-called “fee” or local option tax was not defined in the bill so one could have only guessed or speculated the amount the fee would have been. The municipality would have been required to use the fees / taxes collected to increase or improve the affordability of year-round residential housing within the municipality. The bill was just one more attempt at resurrecting a local option tax after failed attempts last session.

The process by which the committee dealt with LD 1337 illustrates the issue of the lack of transparency during the 130th Legislature. Amendments were often offered during work sessions with no ability by the public to see them prior or, in some cases, no ability to comment on them at all. Thankfully in the end, the bill was defeated.

If you have any questions, please contact Linda Caprara by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 106, or by emailing lcaprara@mainechamber.org.
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Copyright Maine State Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
 128 State Street | Suite 101 | Augusta, ME 04330-5630
 Phone: (207) 623-4568
For media inquiries, please contact Jen Webber, (207) 939-0213
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Our Board
    • Meet the Team
    • President's Message
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Return on Investment
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Hearings of Interest
    • Legislation of Interest
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Social
    • Policy Issues Workshops
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Campus Career Connect
    • Dream It. Do It.
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • This is ME Counting on You
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Impact Newsletter
    • MSCC Blog
    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
    • MERI Roll Call
    • OneVoice Maine Magazine
    • Policy Brief Series with Educate Maine
    • Press Kit
  • Member Login