MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Board
    • Local Chambers of Commerce
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Member Companies
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • Annual Meeting and Dinner
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Strictly Social
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • 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
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Member Login
  • AI In Action

Tax committee votes out notorious “camp tax” bill

6/9/2022

0 Comments

 

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 [email protected].
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    April 2024
    January 2024
    October 2023
    September 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    RSS Feed

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 Katie Clark (207) 233-2230
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Board
    • Local Chambers of Commerce
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Member Companies
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • Annual Meeting and Dinner
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Strictly Social
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • 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
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Member Login
  • AI In Action