Concerned Taxpayers of Scarborough, Maine

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Concerned Taxpayers of Scarborough, Maine

A meeting place for Scarborough taxpayers concerned with the town's inability to control spending.

06/04/2026

TODAY (Thursday) IS THE LAST DAY OF WALK-IN EARLY VOTING. If you haven't voted yet, get out and Vote NO today. Town Hall is open from 7AM to 5PM.

Residents and families who have lived in Scarborough for generations are being pushed out of their homes because they can no longer keep up with the ever-increasing taxes!

With a 21.4% tax increase projected over the next 4 years, THIS is the year to actually show "fiscal restraint"!

Vote NO today!

06/03/2026

⏳ Time's a wastin', folks! Last day for early voting at Town Hall is this Thursday, June 4. Hours are 7am to 5pm.

🥳 It's quick and easy. No big crowd and parking is a breeze.

‼️ And it's the ONLY CHANCE you get all year to have a DIRECT SAY in your taxes!

VOTE NO! The Council said this year's budget was going to reflect "fiscal restraint." It doesn't! It's business as usual. Send it back to them so they can try again!

06/02/2026

Town & School Leaders: Take your thumb off the election scale!

Town and School leaders crossed an important line recently: they are now using Town resources -- which are funded by YOUR tax dollars -- to advocate for one side or another on referendum votes. The June 1 Town newsletter and recent posts on the School Department's page have specifically advocated for a "yes" vote on the School budget. This is totally unethical and a shameful attack on the election process.

The role of Town and School Board leaders is to put the referendum on the ballot and make certain that residents are well-informed about the pros and cons of the question. It is not their role to make a judgment on the merits of the question and advise residents on how to vote. They may provide accurate facts by the truckload, but it is the role of voters to decide on how to vote. It is absurdly inappropriate for the entity sponsoring the election (the Town) to attempt to influence voters.

VOTE NO today through Thursday at Town Hall or June 9 at the High School!

06/01/2026

Can you spot the trends in these two graphs...

School enrollment gradually DOWN. School expenses consistently UP.

The School budget we're voting on on June 9 STILL has expense growth of 5.9% over last year. So much for the "fiscal restraint" that was supposed to be shown in the FY27 budget!

VOTE NO on the School Budget! Send it back for some ACTUAL fiscal restraint!
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🗓️ Early voting -- through Thursday, June 4, from 7AM-5PM
📍 at Town Hall
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🗓️ Election Day -- on June 9, 7AM-8PM
📍 at the High School
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Thanks for staying informed and involved! And most of all for VOTING!

05/31/2026

The School Department is at it again! Using OUR tax dollars to campaign for passage of the School budget! The post shown below (black background) is from the School Department's page, a taxpayer-supported activity.

Sure, they're welcome to knock themselves out presenting the facts. Go for it! But advocating for a YES vote on a referendum question in an election USING THE PUBLIC'S RESOURCES just isn't right.

Take your thumb off the scale, School Department! Scarborough residents deserve FAIR elections!

A NO vote is one for fiscal responsibility... and election fairness.

05/30/2026

Many Scarborough seniors and lower-income residents may not realize there are several local and State of Maine property tax relief programs available that could save them hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars each year.

Here are some important programs to know about:

🏡 MAINE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

Available to Maine homeowners who have owned and lived in their home as their primary residence for at least 12 months.

Provides a property tax exemption of up to $25,000 of assessed value.

Check your tax bill to make sure you're getting this basic benefit!

📅 Apply by April 1

If you already receive it, you do not need to reapply unless you move.

______________________

🏠 SCARBOROUGH PROPERTY TAX ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (PTAP)

For Scarborough residents age 62+.

To qualify:
• Must be 62 or older
• Must have lived in Scarborough for at least 10 consecutive years
• Household income must be under $60,000
• Property taxes must exceed 5% of household income

Eligible residents can receive up to $1,200 back.

📅 Application deadline: October 15, 2026

This program is also available to qualifying renters and manufactured home residents.

————————————

MAINE VETERANS PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION

Available for:
• Veterans age 62+ who served during a recognized war period
• Veterans with 100% VA disability
• Paraplegic veterans
• Certain surviving spouses or dependents

📅 Apply by April 1
(DD-214 required)

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👁️ BLIND EXEMPTION
Available to homeowners who are legally blind.

📅 Apply by April 1
(Doctor’s letter required)

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⏳ MAINE PROPERTY TAX DEFERRAL PROGRAM

This program helps seniors and fully disabled residents stay in their homes. The State pays your property taxes now, and repayment happens later when the home is sold or transferred.

Basic qualifications include:
• Age 65+ or fully disabled
• Must live in the home as your primary residence
• Must already receive the Homestead Exemption
• Income and asset limits apply

📅 Applications accepted January 1 – April 1

======================

For applications and details, visit the Scarborough Tax Relief page. Link in the comments section.

Please share this information with family members, neighbors, and seniors who may benefit. Every dollar matters. Message us if we can help!

05/29/2026

Interesting budget fact... the Scarborough School Department is estimated to have over 600 employees. And although the "Budget Book" never gives a total number of employees, here are the current numbers of employees in several job categories:

11 Instructional coaches ("teachers of the teachers")
9 Nurses (8 RNs & 1 LPN)
4 Curriculum & Assessment department
1.2 Artist-in-residence

The School budget we're voting on on June 9 has a 5.9% increase in gross School Department expenses. That just doesn't reflect the "fiscal restraint" we were promised during and after the approval of the $140 million school building project.

A NO! vote on the School budget is a call for fiscal restraint and a reduction of the burden on taxpayers!

Thanks for voting this coming Monday through Thursday at Town Hall or on June 9 at the High School!

05/27/2026

What! More school budget CUTS?

It seems that some Scarborough residents are convinced that our schools are getting shortchanged. That the school budget gets cut year after year. That our school system is crashing down around us.

Let's put the hysteria aside and look at the facts. In the graph below you'll see a steady, healthy increase in the school expense budget year after year. It's up 64% since 2017. Inflation during that period is up 39%. Sounds to us like the 75% of residents who don't have kids in the schools are doing our share. And then some!

Also, don't forget that the enrollment since 2017 is DOWN by 169 kids or about 6%.

Budget increases of 25% more than inflation and 6% fewer kids. Doesn't sound like CUTS to us!

And remember, it's not a CUT when you reduce an inflated proposed budget number. It's fiscal responsibility in action.

We're voting NO on the school budget on June 9. Or early voting at Town Hall on Mondays through Thursdays through June 4.

Please join us! Thanks for staying informed and involved!

05/26/2026

🚧 Budget Disaster Confirmed 🚧 Here's why we're voting NO...

Over the last couple of months we've watched a painful budget process unfold. It started out with that hopeful note in January -- no increase to the tax rate. The Council recognized the severe pressure the $140 million school building project will put on property taxes in the next few years. But that hopefulness came to an end as the blank-checkers' influence overwhelmed the Town Council.

📰 There is good news, however! On June 9 we get to vote on the proposed school budget! Here's a brief summary of how we ended up at NO...

👉 Fiscal restraint? Nope!
That zero increase goal didn't last long, did it? No need for "fiscal restraint." Everybody in Scarborough is living the good life without a financial care in the world, right?

👉 A business-as-usual budget
Promises, promises! Surprise, surprise! We're now a bit ABOVE the "normal" level of a 3% tax increase. All that effort and angst and here we are!

👉 5.9% school expense growth
Hmmm... school expenses growing at almost twice the inflation rate. And Social Security increases of 2.8% (but actually less than that with increased Medicare premiums!). Are taxpayers being mistaken for the Town's ATM?

👉 $22 million "routine" capital budget!
Yikes! That won't have any impact in FY27, but the interest and principal payments will kick in the following year -- $2.0 million or so per year! By the way, the Town's financial model that provides the estimated tax increases assumes only $5 million per year of "routine" capital expenditures. Time to update the model!

👉 Tax disaster next year
The last update of the financial model estimates taxes for FY28 at 7.33%. But that doesn't include the impact of the much larger than projected capital budget or the significant operating costs that will roll over into FY28 from "deferred" or "delayed" new positions in this year's budget. Are we looking at a double-digit tax increase in FY28? It's certainly possible. The really disturbing part of this is the Town's apparent unwillingness to update next year's tax projection. Perhaps they think it's better to keep us in the dark on what lies ahead, tax-wise.

That's why we're voting NO on the proposed school budget. It's up to us!

🗓️ Election day is June 9 with voting at the High School. And early voting is happening NOW at Town Hall from 7AM until 5PM on Monday through Thursday through June 4.

Please make your voice heard!!! 🦁

05/21/2026

Another "Scarborough compromise!" To no one's surprise, the Town Council approved a budget with a 3.2% tax increase last night. By now, you know how a Scarborough compromise works -- the Town and School administrations get everything they want and the taxpayers get the bill.

The only thing different about this year's budget process was the phony goal setting. That zero percent tax increase goal...which then was adjusted to 2%... and then completely abandoned as the Council just kept layering on expenses. Lots of budget gaming. Lots of TALK about tough decisions. And NO TALK of how bad next year's tax increase will be.

We'll have to wait for official confirmation, but it appears that the School's net budget for FY27 will be $63.6 million. That's how much taxpayers will be paying. It's an increase of 5.9% over this year. There's a "Scarborough compromise" for you!

Now it's the voters' turn -- School budget referendum on June 9! Early in-person voting starting today (Thursday).

Thanks to the more than 100 of you who took the time to email the Town Council! They chose not to listen, but at least they know what they SHOULD have done.

Stay tuned! Stay involved! And dust off your voting shoes!

Address

Scarborough, ME

Website

http://www.smartaxes.com/

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