Augusta, ME: Treasurer Joe Perry shared key financial figures today for the month of December.
The State of Maine Cash Pool represents investments permissible by Maine Statute: Title 5: Administrative Procedures and Services, Part 1: State Departments, Chapter 7: Treasurer of State, Section 135, and consists of excess money in the State Treasury that is 'not needed to meet current obligations'. The State funds and funds of component units of the State are pooled and invested by the Treasurer's Office; generally most securities are held to maturity or called when the par value of the security is received.
The Budget Stabilization Fund (sometimes referred to as the Rainy Day Fund) was created in 2003.
The Budget Stabilization Fund acts as the State of Maine’s savings account. It is a reserve balance that is set aside in good economic times to protect the state budget from the volatile changes in revenues that can occur when the economy unexpectedly slows. The goal of the Fund is to reduce the effect on the operation and services of state government and prevent policymakers from increasing taxes during sudden economic downturns.
Revenue Sharing is distributed per Title 30-A, Subpart 9, Chapter 223, Subchapter 2, Section 5681, by the 20th of each month to each municipality based on a formula whose variables include municipal populations, state valuations and tax assessments. The monthly revenue sharing pool is funded by setting aside a percentage of the State Government's sales, service provider, personal and corporate income tax receipts for the month. For a detailed description of how the funds are calculated and distributed, please see the Calculate Revenue Sharing. January’s distribution was $25,200,109.62. (December’s distribution was $19,099,025.76; January 2025’s distribution was $24,431,614.59).
Unclaimed Property consists of money and other financial assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specified period of time of inactivity. It includes items such as bank accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, unpaid wages, stocks and dividends, refunds, and safe deposit box contents. Unclaimed Property does not include real estate, animals or vehicles.
Each and every year, tens of millions of dollars go unclaimed by Maine residents. These financial assets are turned over by thousands of national and local businesses and organizations by a law called MRSA Title 33, Chapter 45: Maine Revised Unclaimed Property Act. http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/33/title33ch45sec0.html. The Treasurer’s office holds these assets, free of charge, until claimed by the owner or heir. The State is currently holding approximately $395,000,000 in unclaimed property. In the month of January, 3,031 claims paid for $2,632,958.31 (7,044 properties paid).
Highest single payment in January 2026 was for $264,779 (Bank Account). Last January 2025 paid 28,788 claims for $5,355,742.2727 (39,727 properties paid). December 2025 paid 1,900 claims for $2,176,869.98 (10,780 properties paid).
SPECIAL FEATURE: MAINE UNCLAIMED PROPERTY WEEK A SUCCESS!
Governor Mills declared the week of February 2-8, 2026 Maine Unclaimed Property Week. During the week, Maine’s Office of the Treasurer held a telethon with WGME, and found almost 900 current State of Maine employees who had unclaimed property with our office. Some metrics from the week are below:
Here is a look at the full week’s activity, plus the following week to show what we had for sessions and engagement.
An estimated 1,900 claims filed due to the telethon Monday night.
The claims value from the day is $1.7 million.
8,700 claims filed during the full week.
We have paid 4,257 claims so far this month. These equate to $1.26 million.
We anticipate paying at least another 2,750 claim this week for $980,000
744 calls taken in our office that week
About the Office of the Treasurer: the Office of the Treasurer of State is established in Article V, Part Third of the Constitution of the State of Maine. The core duties of the Treasurer’s Office are debt management, cash management, trust fund administration and unclaimed property administration. Other major tasks assigned to the Treasurer are directorships on many of Maine’s quasi-governmental debt issuing agencies and distributions under the Municipal Revenue Sharing Program.
###