By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA — On Wednesday (today), the Legislative Council, a bipartisan committee of legislative leaders, will consider a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson that will reverse Governor LePage’s decision to close the Houlton office of the Maine Revenue Service (MRS).
Earlier this month, Gov. LePage circumvented the Legislature by unilaterally authorizing the closure of the MRS office in Houlton, laying off 11 people.
“Now is not the time to be cutting jobs. We need more jobs in Aroostook not less,” said Jackson of Allagash. “The workers in Houlton are providing essential services to the people in northern Maine. We need to make sure that the people in northern Maine continue to have access to services and feel connected to their government.”
If passed by the panel of 10, the Legislature will consider the bill during a special session on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Jackson added, “the Governor made the decision to close this office without any input from the public or lawmakers. No one had a voice in this process — except for Governor LePage.”
Jackson’s bill has widespread local support and is co-sponsored by Assistant House Minority Leader Alex Willette (R-Mapleton) and supported by the Houlton Town Council, the Southern Aroostook Development Corporation, the Houlton Community Development Office, the Houlton Chamber of Commerce, and the Maine State Employees Association.
“The Legislature passed a bipartisan budget that created a process to review potential savings, and the Governor’s decision to close the Houlton office undermines a thoughtful, transparent, democratic process achieved by working across the aisle,” said Ginette Rivard, president of the Maine State Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union. “It’s heartening to see a community come together and put politics aside for this critical resource in Aroostook County. We hope the Legislature will vote to reverse Governor LePage’s decision, so they may continue with a process that identifies savings that won’t cause further economic hardship for our towns or threaten continuity of public services.”
Houlton Town Manager Eugene Conlogue said both he and John McLaughlin, executive director of the Southern Aroostook Development Commission, planned to attend the Thursday session, provided the panel passes the bill.
Conlogue said a state crew was in Houlton last week taking items out of the office, which is now closed.
“I think these jobs are important to the community,” Conlogue said. “When people work it helps your economy. More importantly, from the state’s point of view, these are very well trained individuals with longevity.”
The staff of the Maine Revenue Services Office in Houlton has shown great productivity, according to Rivard, boasting a revenue-to-cost ratio of 8 to 1, assessing $8 of revenue for every dollar the state spends on the office. This is due to the high level of experience of the staff and the low turnover rates of the office. The office and the positions also contribute to the development of a region that continues to struggle in a sluggish economy.
