The following is a press release from Cape Elizabeth Town Assessor Clinton Swett.

All towns and cities in the State of Maine will be eligible for comprehensive tax relief for seniors who are over 65 years of age per S.P. 126 - L.D. 290.  The bill went unsigned by Governor Mills allowing it to be become law on May 8, 2022.  The following are the details about the law, described by William Brunelle, Principal Property Appraiser at Maine Revenue Services: 

As you may know, the Legislature passed a new law enacting the property tax stabilization program, which freezes senior residents’ property tax at the amount in the year of the application.  Here is the official notice, sent out in the bureau’s Maine Tax Alert last night:

During the most recent session, the Legislature passed L.D. 290 - “An Act To Stabilize Property Taxes for Individuals 65 Years of Age or Older Who Own a Homestead for at Least 10 Years.” This new law allows certain senior residents to stabilize, or freeze, the property taxes on their homestead.  An applicant must be at least 65 years old, a permanent resident of the State, and must have owned a Maine homestead for at least ten years.  As long as the individual files an application each year, the tax on their homestead is fixed at the amount assessed in the year prior to the initial application.  Eligible residents may transfer the fixed tax amount to a new homestead, even between municipalities.  The State will fully reimburse municipalities for lost revenue.  The law goes into effect on August 8, 2022, and applies to property tax years beginning April 1, 2023.

Interested taxpayers will need to apply with the municipality where their homestead is located on or before December 1.  Maine Revenue Services is currently drafting forms and instructions, along with guidance for applicants and municipalities, which will be released in advance of the law’s effective date in August.  The text of the new law is available on the Maine Legislature’s website.   We hope to have an application available soon.

As the Assessor, I have been capturing the names and addresses of the Cape Elizabeth seniors who have called my office to inquire about the program.  Rest assured that I will mail the appropriate applications as soon as I have them in my possession.  If you have any questions, please contact my office at 207-799-1619 or send me an email at clinton.swett@capeelizabeth.org and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.