STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT HELP

After a three-year pause of student loan payments by the federal government, the repayment process for more than 187,000 student loan borrowers in Maine is set to begin in October.

To help Mainers through the process, the Finance Authority of Maine has launched a new, online resource that will provide information to help borrowers plan for repayment.

For more information, visit FAMEmaine.com/repayrestart. 

IN THE NEWS AND IN OUR COMMUNITY

Last Sunday, I published an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald where I talk about the successful, but rarely celebrated, bipartisan collaboration that's happening in Augusta.

It was announced earlier today at the Maine Climate Council meeting that the Town of Bowdoinham has received a Community Resilience Partnership Community Action Grant of $50,000. This grant funding will be used for wetland restoration, living shoreline stabilization, revegetation for flood mitigation, and site work to create ADA access on a 20-acre municipal parcel on Merrymeeting Bay. I am deeply appreciative that the State has chosen to help us protect and preserve our incredibly unique waterfront, and to invest in allowing broader access to this special resource.

Another epic Celebrate Bowdoinham! Thank you to everyone who made this day such a success. And a special congratulations to Tessa Kingsley, Bowdoinham's 2023 Citizen of the Year – thank you for all you do to make our community kinder and brighter!

I had a great time recently at the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine Annual Banquet and got to sit next to Craig Gerry, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife's Shooting Range Coordinator.

Back in June, Craig gave me an incredible tour of the Department's Summerhaven Shooting Range, answered tons of my questions, and patiently taught me how to safely handle a crossbow, a compound bow, and a variety of rifles. It was an unforgettable experience.

As the fall hunting season approaches, I encourage all sportsmen and women to check out the Summerhaven Range in Augusta! It's a free and valuable resource for sharpening your skills.

https://www.maine.gov/.../maine-shooting.../summerhaven.html

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coffee with a Cop: The Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting coffee

and conversations at Rocky Ridge Orchard in Bowdoin on Tuesday October 3rd, from 8-10am. Stop by, grab an apple cider donut, a cup of coffee, and say hi!

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROGRAMS

This session the Legislature passed bipartisan measures to repeal the Property Tax Stabilization Program in recognition of significant flaws, including a potential legal challenge regarding its constitutionality and unsustainability. We instead expanded several existing property tax relief programs that allow more Mainers to lower their property taxes and age with dignity in their homes that I have included more information on below.



The Property Tax Fairness Credit returns a portion of property taxes or rent paid by eligible Mainers each year as a credit on their state tax return. If the credit is more than the taxes you owe for that year, the extra amount will be refunded to you. For those not required to file an income tax return, like many older Mainers on Social Security, a streamlined form is available to help ensure they can still benefit from this tax credit. The expanded version of the credit establishes a new class of eligibility based on age and income, allowing folks to get as much as $2,000 back.

The Property Tax Deferral Program is another tool that works to help those living on fixed and lower incomes stay in their homes by covering the cost of annual property taxes. Municipalities still receive that revenue through the loan, which is repaid upon the sale of the property or when it becomes part of an estate. We also raised the maximum income level for eligibility from $40,000 to $80,000 and increasing the maximum asset test to $100,000.

An additional existing program that aids Mainers with their property taxes is the Homestead Exemption. The program reduces the assessed value of a qualifying Mainer’s primary residence by $25,000 for the purpose of calculating property taxes. Make sure to apply by April 1 in order to qualify.

For more information about what you qualify for, call Maine Revenue Services at 207-624-9784 weekdays between 9 a.m. and noon.

HUNTING LAWS

Hunting season is nearly here! As a hunter, it is your responsibility to be up-to-date on all of Maine's hunting laws as you prepare for upcoming outings this fall.

You can read the latest hunting and fishing laws for the 2023-2024 season from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife here.

You can also download a PDF of the law book to your phone so you always have it with you, even if you don't have cell phone reception.