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August 27, 2007

Baldacci looks to jails to trim taxes

Governor John Baldacci recently took a new stab at tax reform, suggesting the state take over control of Maine's 15 county jails.

Baldacci argued that folding the county jails into the state's prison system would streamline how the jails are run, allowing administrative departments to be centralized and some jails to be shut down completely, according to a report in the Bangor Daily News. He said property taxes could be reduced under the plan because the cost of running county jails -- footed by local taxpayers -- have been increasing at a fast clip, and are likely to increase to more than $100 million next year.

The plan received some early political support, but also raised concerns among many lawmakers. Sen. Carol Weston (R-Montville) told the Daily News that she has reservations about the plan. "Let's focus on what the people want us to do: lower spending and reduce taxes," she told the paper.

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