Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1911-08-31


charge for general expenses is made
against Bailey Island, shows the ex-
cess OF taxes over receipts for the
Island to have been $73SSS and
ss31.S3 respectively.
In view Of these facts your COM
mittee is convinced that about one
third OF the taxes collected on the
Island are each year expended for
improvements in other parts of the
town. The new road here Is the
only improvement made here for the
past ten years, and the expense of
this was fully covered by the taxes
for that year.
Your committee wished to point
out one other fact in connection with
this report. The total tax assessed in
the town In 1910 was $1S.237.47.
This was divided as follows:
Western Division
(Harpswell Neck and iHaskelD
s7,S15 95
Eastern Division
(Bailey, Orr, and Great Ids.)
1O,421.52
AS far as can be ascertained from
careful measurements on the Coast
Survey Chart of Casco Bay, the rela-
tive sizes OF these divisions are
Harpswell Neck and Haskell's Id.
- 5000 acres
Great Island 1000 acres
Orrs Island 1900 acres
Bailey Island 400 acres
Bailey, Orr. and Great Islands
5000 acres
Since the total tax on the western
division was $7S15.95. the tax per
acre there was $7S15.95 per 5000 or
S1.30 per acre.
Similarly in the eastern division.
the total tax was $1O,421.52 and the
total number Of acres about $500.
Hence the tax per acre was $10.42152
per $500 or $1.s6.
Island was about $29OO.O0, the tax on
Orr's and Great Islands was $1O,4l1
per 2900, or $7521.0O. Hence the tax
per acre on Orr's and Great Islands
was nearly 1921 per 500, or $1.44.
The tax on Bailey Island was
$1,000 per 400. or $7.25 per acre.
IL Is Of course evident that the
valuation OF thickly settled Bailey
Island should be greater per acre than
that on the other parts OF the town.
When We consider, however, the non-
resident property on Harpswell and
Orrs' Islands, We cannot help raising
the question whether there Is as much
difference in value as the figures indi-
cate. We are the more inclined TO
question whether the assessments are
made on the same basis in all parts
OF the town when We compare the tax
Per acre OF Harpswell with that OF
Orr's and Great Islands together. =
s1.30 with s1.4i; while that OF Bailey's
alone Is s7.25 per acre.
A study OF the appended list OF
assessed valuations on Bailey Island
raises the further question whether
the method OF assessment In perfectly
just. The valuations are evidently
assessed mainly on buildings and not
or land. Cottage lots that are va
cant, but which could be sold at any
time for $500 are assessed at 800:
while lots OF similar value with
$500 house on them are assessed at
about 5000. II vacant land were
assessed more nearly at its market
value, as the buildings are. would II
not be possible 10 lower the tax rate
TO the beneht OF the entire town.
These questions raise the further
question whether the valuation OF
Bailey Island as one-sixth the total
value OF the town II not an excessive
valuation. The number OF voters on
Bailey Island Is about one-ninth the
total number in the town: and the
total number Of taxpayers here is one
ninth the total number In the town.
The value OF the resident and that OF
the nonresident real estate are nearly
equal In the town "a a whole; while
On Bailey Island the nonresident real
estate is valued at double the amount
OF the resident real estate. There IL,
therefore. a much larger amount OF
taxation without representation on
Bailey Island than elsewhere In he
town: and a much higher average
tar per taxpayer here than elsewhere.
Ts the average value Of the holdings
greater per taxpayer on Bailey Is
land than II is IN other parts OF the
town.
Notwithstanding the above facts,
your committee believes that II would
rot be advisable at this time to try
70 form a separate town OF Bailey Is