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Casco Taxpayers Threatened Possible Suit

June 03, 2008 - CASCO -- The head of a 225 member taxpayers group calling itself the Casco Tax Fairness Association told selectmen here Tuesday night he is making them "a last offer" to settle their property tax abatement dispute at the local level, before they appeal their case to the Cumberland County Commissioners or take the town the court.

The selectmen went into a closed-door executive session with their attorney, William Dale of Portland, to discuss "potential litigation," presumably by the taxpayers organization.

"I would be willing to negotiate a reasonable settlement, but town manager David Morton said that would be illegal," Robert Levesque told selectmen. "The town of Wells had a similar suit involving 200 people."

Questioning the legality issue of the groups offer to settle, Lévesque said "to me, in business, if you have a dispute, you go to court. Here, I'm making the same offer. How did the town of Wells do it, if it is illegal?"

"I'm making a last offer, and this is probably the last time I'll come here," stated Levesque. "The 225 participants have authorized me to act on their behalf. So, to use George Bush's words, "I'm the decider."

Levesque said, "I make the offer, so I can say to the group's members 'I made the offer and they declined.'"

John Carrigan, another disgruntled taxpayer, took John O'Donnell, the town's property tax assessor, to task for a questionnaire he received from O'Donnell's company. Carrigan, who said his property valuation increased by $3000 since last year, asserted that he should not have to be responsible for providing information to O'Donnell, including if and in what amount his lakeside property is mortgaged and at what interest rate.

"This is arrogance," Carrigan told selectmen Susan Witonis, Barbara York, James Gerry and Calvin Nutting. "O'Donnell asked me on the questionnaire if I think the assessed value my property is less than it is currently assessed. Now, do I have the education to come up with this figure?"

Turning around and directly addressing the selectmen's attorney, William Dale, Carrigan asked, "Should I have to prove that this gentleman (O'Donnell) made errors?"

"The difference is, he doesn't have to prove his case -- you do," attorney Dale told Carrigan.

Addressing Carrigan's questions, town manager Morton told him, "The simple answer is, there were similar abatement (requests) filed. All of this information requested by O'Donnell is to prove or disprove your case... it's a roadmap for you to provide information. You have a roadmap there to help you prove that."

Clearly frustrated by the answers he was given, Carrigan turned to O'Donnell and asked him, "would you like to buy it, John? Sixty feet of (shorefront) land for $430,000?"

This article first appeared in the Bridgton News, May 29, 2008.

Lakes: Coffee Pond, Crescent Lake, Pleasant Lake, Sebago Lake, Thomas Pond, Thompson Lake
Regions: Sebago


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