FW: Joint Select Committee Meeting in Bangor, Wed. Feb.

6
from 2-5
Inbox x

Jonathan LaBonte

<jlabonte@auburnmaine.gov>

12:55 PM (6 minutes
ago)

to me
As requested...always happy to talk about this issue.

Jonathan P. LaBonte
Mayor - City of Auburn
60 Court Street
Auburn, Maine 04210
207-333-6600 Ext. 1216

From: Jonathan LaBonte

Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 10:59 AM
To: McCarthy, Rick; Alan Casavant; Bill Bridgeo; Cathy Conlow; Clint Deschene; Colleen Hilton; Colleen
Hilton (hiltonc@vnahomehealth.org); Doug Gardner; Edward A. Barrett; Howard Kroll; Jerre Bryant; Jim
Gailey; John Bubier; Karen Heck; Karen Heck; Karen Heck (avalongrp@gwi.net); Kate Knox; Mark H.
Rees; Mark Johnston; Marston Lovell; Maura Herlihy; Michael Brennan; Mike Roy; Nelson Durgin; Nicole
Clegg; Rick Michaud; Robert Macdonald; Scott Morelli (smorelli@gardinermaine.com); Steven Buck
(srbuck@sanfordmaine.org); Thom Harnett; Thomas Blake; Tom Blake; William R. Stokes
Subject: RE: Joint Select Committee Meeting in Bangor, Wed. Feb. 6 from 2-5
I cannot support point number 3, without a commitment from the Coalition that we will pursue regional
innovation/consolidation before determining our needs from the state. I thought there was some level of
support to engage with the governor around innovation as part of the state revenue negotiation.

Jonathan P. LaBonte
Mayor - City of Auburn
60 Court Street
Auburn, Maine 04210

207-333-6600 Ext. 1216

From: McCarthy, Rick [rmccarthy@eatonpeabody.com]

Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 9:54 AM
To: Alan Casavant; Bill Bridgeo; Cathy Conlow; Clint Deschene; Colleen Hilton; Colleen Hilton
(hiltonc@vnahomehealth.org); Doug Gardner; Edward A. Barrett; Howard Kroll; Jerre Bryant; Jim Gailey;
John Bubier; Jonathan LaBonte; Karen Heck; Karen Heck; Karen Heck (avalongrp@gwi.net); Kate Knox;
Mark H. Rees; Mark Johnston; Marston Lovell; Maura Herlihy; Michael Brennan; Mike Roy; Nelson Durgin;
Nicole Clegg; Rick Michaud; Robert Macdonald; Scott Morelli (smorelli@gardinermaine.com); Steven Buck
(srbuck@sanfordmaine.org); Thom Harnett; Thomas Blake; Tom Blake; William R. Stokes
Subject: Joint Select Committee Meeting in Bangor, Wed. Feb. 6 from 2-5

All,
The Joint Select Committee on Maines Workforce and Economic Future will be meeting this Wednesday
(two days from now) in Bangor from 2-5. Theyre meeting in Rangeley Hall at the campus of Eastern
Maine Community College. My apologies for the late notice.
I would like to have someone from the Coalition attend this meeting. The message is pretty simple:

1. We support their goal to improve Maines workforce and look forward to working with them
to develop ways to do that.
2. We believe downtowns will be the best place for economic growth in the future and we look
forward to working with them to identify ways to support that growth.
3. And by the way, the proposals in the Governors budget (revenue sharing, homestead
exemption, circuit breaker, etc) are untenable and would lead to significant property tax
increases.
If someone is attending, I can provide more detailed talking points.
Nelson and Cathy, any chance you are available?
Rick

Rick McCarthy
Managing Director
Eaton Peabody Consulting
Group
P.O. Box 5249
77 Sewall St., Suite 3000
Augusta, Maine 04332-5249
Mobile: 207.242.7795
Direct: 207.430.8810
Tele: 207.622.9820
Fax: 207.622.9732
rmccarthy@eatonpeabody.com

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Jonathan LaBonte

<jlabonte@auburnmaine.gov>

12:56 PM (5 minutes
ago)

to me
Found another that has a longer thread...my apologies.

Jonathan P. LaBonte
Mayor - City of Auburn
60 Court Street
Auburn, Maine 04210
207-333-6600 Ext. 1216
From: Jonathan LaBonte
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 3:18 PM
To: Conlow, Cathy; Scott Morelli; McCarthy, Rick; Alan Casavant; Bill Bridgeo; Clint Deschene; Colleen
Hilton; Colleen Hilton (hiltonc@vnahomehealth.org); Doug Gardner; Edward A. Barrett; Howard Kroll;
Jerre Bryant; Jim Gailey; John Bubier; Karen Heck; Karen Heck; Karen Heck (avalongrp@gwi.net); Kate

Knox; Mark H. Rees; Mark Johnston; Marston Lovell; Maura Herlihy; Michael Brennan; Mike Roy; Durgin,
Nelson; Nicole Clegg; Rick Michaud; Robert Macdonald; Steven Buck (srbuck@sanfordmaine.org); Thom
Harnett; Thomas Blake; Tom Blake; William R. Stokes
Subject: RE: Joint Select Committee Meeting in Bangor, Wed. Feb. 6 from 2-5
I can't agree with that separation at this point. I think the group needs an open discussion about this.
The Governor opened the door to meet with the Coalition on this very topic and I know his staff are
researching models that they could share with us.
I'm not happy with the cuts without an alternative in place for my city to earn that money back in some
form (infrastructure, school support, economic development, transit subsidies, etc). But just to say we
don't like the cuts without being able to step up I think falls short. We were created as a group to
advocate for economic development to strengthen Maine's cities, not just to lobby about revenues from
the state.
I know I'm becoming a lone voice on this, but I will continue to urge us to get to the table to negotiate to
our benefit.

Jonathan P. LaBonte
Mayor - City of Auburn
60 Court Street
Auburn, Maine 04210
207-333-6600 Ext. 1216
From: Conlow, Cathy [cathy.conlow@bangormaine.gov]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 3:13 PM
To: Scott Morelli; McCarthy, Rick; Jonathan LaBonte; Alan Casavant; Bill Bridgeo; Clint Deschene; Colleen
Hilton; Colleen Hilton (hiltonc@vnahomehealth.org); Doug Gardner; Edward A. Barrett; Howard Kroll;
Jerre Bryant; Jim Gailey; John Bubier; Karen Heck; Karen Heck; Karen Heck (avalongrp@gwi.net); Kate
Knox; Mark H. Rees; Mark Johnston; Marston Lovell; Maura Herlihy; Michael Brennan; Mike Roy; Durgin,
Nelson; Nicole Clegg; Rick Michaud; Robert Macdonald; Steven Buck (srbuck@sanfordmaine.org); Thom
Harnett; Thomas Blake; Tom Blake; William R. Stokes
Subject: RE: Joint Select Committee Meeting in Bangor, Wed. Feb. 6 from 2-5

Perhaps you could separate the issue of revenue sharing from consolidated services. I would feel
comfortable indicating that we are unhappy with the cuts mentioned in #3 and adding a #4 that talks
about regionalizing services, consolidating etc.. What is needed is a fund to help pay for the
development of more unified systems. Consolidating Assessment makes sense to me however each
municipality considering consolidation may have to do a revaluation to create a unified assessment
system. Much the same as was done by the creation at the state level of a chart of accounts that is to
be used. I guess what I am saying is that consolidation requires significant investments in
infrastructure. Those can be costly. Once the infrastructure is in place there may be significant long
term savings but most municipalities cant get past the initial costs. Those are my thoughts and I am not
meaning to confusing the issue. Cathy

From: Scott Morelli [mailto:smorelli@gardinermaine.com]

Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 1:02 PM
To: McCarthy, Rick; 'Jonathan LaBonte'; Alan Casavant; Bill Bridgeo; Conlow, Cathy; Clint Deschene;
Colleen Hilton; Colleen Hilton (hiltonc@vnahomehealth.org); Doug Gardner; Edward A. Barrett; Howard
Kroll; Jerre Bryant; Jim Gailey; John Bubier; Karen Heck; Karen Heck; Karen Heck (avalongrp@gwi.net);
Kate Knox; Mark H. Rees; Mark Johnston; Marston Lovell; Maura Herlihy; Michael Brennan; Mike Roy;
Durgin, Nelson; Nicole Clegg; Rick Michaud; Robert Macdonald; Steven Buck (srbuck@sanfordmaine.org);
Thom Harnett; Thomas Blake; Tom Blake; William R. Stokes
Subject: RE: Joint Select Committee Meeting in Bangor, Wed. Feb. 6 from 2-5

Hi Rick
First off, Id like to thank the group for extending an invite to Gardiner to join this coalition and apologize
for not being able to attend the last meeting with our mayor, Thom Harnett (I was at an ultrasound with
my wife third girl due in June!). Could you expand on what the coalition agreed to in re #3 below?
What link are we trying to propose between further regionalization efforts and future state revenue
sharing? Is it that we will commit to consolidating services and therefore ask for less money from the
state in the future (i.e. not the 5% we have been or should have been getting but something less?)
Thanks for any clarification.
Scott T. Morelli
City Manager | City of Gardiner
From: McCarthy, Rick [mailto:rmccarthy@eatonpeabody.com]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 11:29 AM
To: 'Jonathan LaBonte'; Alan Casavant; Bill Bridgeo; Cathy Conlow; Clint Deschene; Colleen Hilton;
Colleen Hilton (hiltonc@vnahomehealth.org); Doug Gardner; Edward A. Barrett; Howard Kroll; Jerre
Bryant; Jim Gailey; John Bubier; Karen Heck; Karen Heck; Karen Heck (avalongrp@gwi.net); Kate Knox;
Mark H. Rees; Mark Johnston; Marston Lovell; Maura Herlihy; Michael Brennan; Mike Roy; Nelson Durgin;
Nicole Clegg; Rick Michaud; Robert Macdonald; Scott Morelli; Steven Buck (srbuck@sanfordmaine.org);
Thom Harnett; Thomas Blake; Tom Blake; William R. Stokes
Subject: RE: Joint Select Committee Meeting in Bangor, Wed. Feb. 6 from 2-5

Jonathan,
Let me clarify what I meant with number 3 below, because I did not intend for it to prevent meaningful
discussion around this issue. Can everyone agree on the following:

1. The Governors budget proposal, which suspends revenue sharing and makes significant cuts
to property tax relief programs, is unacceptable as it currently stands. Revenue sharing is a $100
million hole municipalities will have to fill. Elimination of the Homestead Exemption for those
under 65 will raise property taxes by $100 to $200 or more for most homeowners.
2. Maine municipalities already have regional service sharing arrangements around a variety of
services in communities statewide. However, we understand that more regional cooperation
and/or consolidation of services is possible and would reduce the cost of services. We are
committed to identifying and implementing such opportunities for savings.

3. We are ready and willing to discuss ways to expand regionalization/consolidation of services

in the coming months and years as part of the broader discussion around municipal revenue
sharing and property tax reduction/reimbursement programs. We look forward to working with
all parties over the next few months to address these issues.
Rick
From: Jonathan LaBonte [mailto:jlabonte@auburnmaine.gov]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 11:00 AM