An Act To Increase ~fficiency through Regionalization
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1064
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: BARTLETT, DAMON, MILLS, COHEN, MORRISON, PLUMMER, SANBORN, STRANG BURGESS
Amends: 30-A MRSA §706-A

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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'124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1064 
S.P.398 
In Senate, March 17, 
An Act To Increase ~fficiency through Regionalization 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator BARTLETT of Cumberland. 
9tf)(Y~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Cosponsored by Senators: DAMON of Hancock, MILLS of Somerset, Representatives: 
COHEN of Portland, MORRISON of South Portland, PLUMMER of Windham, SANBORN 
of Gorham, STRANG BURGESS of Cumberland .. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People ofthe State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §706-A, sub-§l, 'ffB, as amended by PL 2007, c. 653, Pt. A, 
§ 1 0, is further amended to read: 
B. 
"County assessment" means: 
(1) For the tax year of any county that began prior to January 1, 2009, total 
annual county appropriations reduced by all resources available to fund those 
appropriat~ons other than the county tax; or 
(2) For the tax year of any county that begins on or after January 1, 2009, total 
annual county appropriations for noncorredional-related services as established 
lOin 
section 701, reduced by all resources available to fund those appropriations 
other than the county tax and by an appropriation subject to a waiver under 
subsection 8-A. 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §706-A, sub-§8-A is enacted to read: 
8-A. Exempt funds. An appropriation in a county budget with the purpose of 
facilitating an agreement with one or more municipalities or counties to study, initiate or 
consolidate a regional service is exempt from the calculation of the county assessment 
limit under subsection 2 if a waiver from the count)' assessment limit is granted by the 
Department of Administrative and Finaricial Services. 
A waiver from the county 
assessment limit under this subsection may be granted for up to 10 years if the following 
requirements are met: 
A. 
The 'county demonstrates the: regional need for the agreement under this 
subsection, substantiates the potential savings of the regional service and documents 
the basis for the number of years for which the waiver is requested; 
B. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services determines that the 
regional service demonstrates an efficient delivery of local and regional 
governmental services and is a qualifying project under section 6201, subsection 8 
an~ the appropriation is an eligible cost under section 6201, subsection 5; and 
C. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services determines that the 
regional service win be funded through savings achieved or fees collected for the 
service and, if the service is a consolidation of existing services provided by 2 or 
more governmental entities, provides for a more efficient delivery than the present 
delivery of those services. 
Sec. 3. 30-A MRS A §S721-A, sub-§l, ~, as affected by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. C, 
§5 and amended by c. 12, Pt. WW, § 11 and affected by § § 15 and 16, is further amended 
to read:. 
D. 
"Property tax levy" means the total annual municipal appropriations, excluding 
assessments properly issued by a county of which the municipality is a member and 
amounts governed by and appropriated in accordance with Title 20-A, chapter 606-B, 
and amounts appropriated to pay assessments properly issued by a school 
administrative unit or tuition for students or amounts attributable to a tax increment 
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financing district agreement or similar special tax district, reduced by all resources 
available to fund those appropriations other than the property tax and by an 
appropriation subject to a waiver of the property tax levy under slibsectimi 9-A. 
Sec. 4. 30-A MRS A §S721-A, sub-§9-A is enacted to read: 
9-A. Exempt funds. An appropriation in a municipal budget with the purpose of 
facilitating an agreement with one or more municipalities or counties to study, initiate or 
consolidate a regional service is exempt from the calculation of the property tax levy 
under subsection 2 if a waiver from the property tax levy is granted by the Department of 
Administrative and Financial Services. A waiver from the property tax levy under this 
subsection may be granted for up to 10 years if the following requirements are met: 
A. The, municipality demonstrates the regional need for the agreement under this 
subsection, substantiates the potential savings of the regional service and documents 
the basis for the number of years for which the waiver is requested; 
B. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services determines that the 
regional service demonstrates an efficient delivery of local and regional 
governn1ental services and is a qualifying proj ect under section 620 L subsection 8 
and the appropriation is an eligible cost under section 6201, subsection 5; and 
C. The, Department of Administrative and Financial Services determines that the 
regional service will be funded through savings achieved from or fees collected for 
the service and, if the service is a consolidation of existing services provided by 2 or 
more governmental entities, provides for a more efficient delivery than the present 
delivery of those services. 
SUMMARY 
TIllS bill allows, appropriations of municipalities to be exempt from the property tax 
levy and appropriations of counties to be exempt from the county assessment limit if the 
appropriations are to study, initiate or consolidate a regional service for up to 10 years if 
' the Department of Administrative and Financial Services determines that the services are 
needed and will be more efficient than present services, will save taxpayers money and 
will be paid for through the savings of consolidation or fees for the service.