Edgecomb Citizens' Tax Group

Edgecomb Neighbor,
Were you shocked when you opened last year’s property tax bill? We were, too! The Edgecomb Select Board asked us to form a Citizens’ Tax Group to investigate ways to lower our 2025 taxes. We have reviewed years of Edgecomb’s budgets, audits, other Town data, and State data and have uncovered opportunities for improvement in many areas of Town spending.

(Click on images to enlarge)

The school budget has increased an incredible $108,000 every year since 2020.

(far higher than the rate of US inflation and inconsistent with the school’s shrinking resident student numbers) Recommendation:  Eliminate PreK program and return Special Ed to contracted services. MORE

Nonresident students were brought in to increase the steadily declining enrollment at the school.

(but at tuition rates that do not cover their marginal costs) Recommendation: Eliminate Below Cost tuition program for non-Edgecomb Resident students. MORE

Students used to compete well on Maine standardized academic tests which is no longer true.

Recommendation: Restore Eddy’s focus on Competency-based Education in core academic subjects like Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, History, and Civics. MORE

Despite falling standards, the school staff is among the highest paid in Maine.

Recommendation: Eliminate positions to bring staff levels in line with State suggested student/teacher ratios. MORE

The school can claim expenses for special ed students insured under Maine Care.

Recommendation: Restore timely billing of all appropriate costs to Maine Care.

The school consistently underreports Revenue (Tuition, State Subsidy, Grants).

Recommendation: The Edgecomb School Board be directed to produce a school budget which reflects the true revenue expected from the state subsidies and tuition from non-resident students from other municipalities, and all existing applied for grants. MORE

The Edgecomb fire department’s salaried position is unique in this area of Maine. Increases in the department costs are not sustainable.

Recommendation: Eliminate fulltime salaried Fire Chief position, and hold stipend of part-time Fire Chief .to the average fire chief stipends of the Fire companies for the Towns of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport, and Wiscasset or $15,000, whichever is lower. MORE

By digging deeper, it is clear Selectmen, Budget Committees and tax payers have in various ways, all been victims of the lack of transparency in Budget Deliberations.

Recommendation:

1. In order to engage a larger number of Edgecomb voters, all of the annual Town Warrant articles, including those involving the school budget, be henceforth decided by referendum vote of the eligible voters.
2. In order to better inform Edgecomb voters, before any voting on any Town Warrant, whether by Referendum or Town Meeting, accurate estimates of the cost impact on the Town’s property taxes of passing the Warrant in its entirety, or of passing any individual warrant article of value over $25,000, will be presented in units of Dollars of Tax per $100,000 of then current property assessment.

More cooperation and sharing of services with surrounding communities could show significant savings.

Recommendation: In order to enhance their strategic role in the governance of the Town, the Select Board shall regularly meet and confer with their counterparts in neighboring towns for the purposes of:

1. Seeking out and sharing examples of “Best Practices” in efficient municipal town government.
2. Seeking and sharing opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in the provision of efficient public services.
3. Developing and exploring options for increased regionalization in the provision of efficient public services, including fire protection and education.