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Property Tax Proposals in Maine: An AARP Poll of Registered Voters

by Katherine Bridges, M.G.S., AARP Knowledge Management, AARP Research, April 2004

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Property taxes in Maine have been increasing steadily over the past 10 years, and many residents hope to reverse or slow this trend by supporting proposals for property tax relief.

This telephone survey of 819 Maine voters age 18+ found the following:

  • Seventy-four percent of Maine voters think property taxes in the state are too high.
  • Nearly two-thirds (64%) say the best way to pay for property tax relief would be a combination of cuts in state spending and increases in other tax revenue, yet none of the suggestions for specific cuts were supported by a majority of voters.
  • A majority of voters say they would probably or definitely vote for each of three current proposals for property tax relief: Question 1A, which would transfer 55 percent of the cost of education to the state; a property tax limit of 1 percent of the assessed value of the property; or Homestead Plus, which would exempt the first $7,000 from the tax bill of all resident homeowners and limit property taxes to no more than 5 percent of household income.
  • When information on costs to the state is provided, fewer than half would continue to support Question 1A or the 1 percent tax cap, while 75 percent would continue to support Homestead Plus.

Interviews were conducted during April 2004 by Woelfel Research, Inc. The report was prepared by Katherine Bridges of AARP Knowledge Management. For further information, please contact Katherine Bridges at 202/434-6329. (26 pages)