Click here to view text of draft resolution

The School Board Tuesday night tabled a draft resolution opposing a 1-percent tax cap initiative that will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

The board will re-consider the resolution at a special meeting, after the draft is re-worded to reflect a focus on the tax cap's impact on Cape Elizabeth.

The resolution was drafted from a model put out by the Maine School Management Association, and refers to the impact the tax-cap initiative will have on schools and municipalities throughout Maine.

However, "I'm not sure we should be commenting on other school systems," said School Board member Kathy Ray. "I think we should bring it back to Cape Elizabeth."

Ray and other School Board members had other technical objections to the draft resolution, including reference to a $530 million loss in municipal revenues should the tax cap pass. The reference, however, does not identify the dollar amount as a statewide total.

School Board members were also concerned that the resolution referred to the tax cap as the "Palesky" initiative. The property tax proposal has been popularly called "Palesky," after Maine Taxpayers Action Network founder and petitioner Carol Palesky.

The title of the referendum, to appear on the November ballot, is "An Act to Impose Limits on Real and Personal Property Taxes."

There was also debate, but less clear consensus, about whether some of the language in the proposed resolution was more opinion than fact. Some School Board members said they were uncomfortable using the word "devastate" to illustrate the impact of the initiative on Maine's public schools and municipal services.

"I do not disagree with 'will devastate,' " said Ray. "But it sounds like an opinion and I don't want it to sound like an opinion," she said. Board member Trish Brigham suggested saying it had the "potential to devastate", but Board member Anne Belden said she had no problem with strong language, "because I think we're trying to make a stand."

Interim Superintendent Robert Lyman, in a telephone interview, said he will likely exchange with word "devastate" with " 'significantly negatively impact', or something to that effect," for the board's consideration. The School Board is expected to re-consider the resolution, with revisions, at a special meeting either at or before the next School Board workshop Sept. 28.

Draft Resolution: (tabled by the School Board Sept. 14):

RESOLUTION REGARDING THE PALESKY TAX CAP INITIATIVE

TITLE: RESOLVE, TO DECLARE THE INTENT OF THE CAPE ELIZABETH SCHOOL BOARD TO OPPOSE PASSAGE OF THE PALESKY TAX CAP INITIATIVE

WHEREAS, the quality of Maine's public schools is essential to the future of our young people and the growth of the Maine economy; and

WHEREAS, Maine voters have passed Question 1 which will increase the State's share of the cost of education and provide property tax relief to local taxpayers; and,

WHEREAS, the proposed tax cap law will reduce municipal revenues by $530,000,000 a year; and

WHEREAS, this initiative requires only a simple majority vote to pass but a two-thirds majority vote to subsequently change; and

WHEREAS, by the realistic estimate of the Cape Elizabeth Tax Cap Task Force, the local budget would be reduced by $4.45 million and the local school budget by $3.17 million; and

WHEREAS, there is no option for local control or a local override; and

WHEREAS, this sudden loss of revenues will devastate Maine's public schools and municipal services;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the School Board of Cape Elizabeth hereby records its opposition to the passage of the Palesky Property Tax Cap Initiative, out of concern for the quality of our schools and the future of our children.