AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Taxation voted unanimously of those present Wednesday to advance a bill sponsored by Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, that would help protect fishermen's access to Maine's working waterfront.
As amended, LD 2162 would strengthen the working waterfront section of the Current Land Use tax program, which provides tax relief for owners of land designated as working waterfront. By strengthening the program, Mainers who use their own residence for their commercial fishing business would have a larger incentive to enroll.
"I'm grateful to all the committee members for recognizing that our working waterfront is under threat and for taking action," said Ankeles. "This bill will help protect one of Maine's core heritage industries a protection that is more necessary now that recent storms have put fishermen in an even more difficult position."
Rising home values, particularly on the coast, have increased the tax burden on working waterfront property owners, making it harder for them to continue to earn a living. This comes as the number of active working waterfront parcels are already shrinking.
The bill faces votes in the House and Senate in the coming days.
Ankeles, a member of both the Transportation Committee and the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, is serving his first term in the Maine House and represents District 100, a central slice of Brunswick that includes downtown, the former naval airbase and Bowdoin College.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Ankeles], 305-965-2744