Maine City Taxpayers May Lose Services to Cover Migrant Housing Costs

Maine residents pay the highest property tax as a percentage of their income nationally. Now, Portland municipal taxpayers face an increase of 15 percent to cover the costs of asylum seekers sheltered locally. The City’s budget process was delayed with the hope of outside funding arriving to prevent the hike or cut to existing services. Regardless of whether funds are raised, supplemented, or redirected, the costs of the migrant crisis must be covered as federal financial supports are set to expire in June.

According to a report by WMTV in Portland, the City postponed submission of the annual budget under a hope that state legislation will mostly cover an anticipated shortfall driven by migrant care. The City must find $13 million to continue its sheltering of more than 1,000 asylum seekers, according to Interim City Manager Danielle P. West. The report notes that roughly 100 new arrivals come each week.

West told WMTV, “Due to increasing costs from inflation as well as from a rather large general assistance budget, we are delaying my presentation this evening.” In addition to providing housing for the asylum seekers and other residents in need, the City also plans to double its local health services budget for the next fiscal year.

West says 148 asylum seekers arrived in Portland in the first week in April. Although the state government ultimately provides 70 percent of the required funding to care for the migrants, FEMA’s reimbursement for the remaining costs is set to expire in June.

The City houses roughly 1,000 asylum seekers in 12 hotels and takes new migrants in on a daily basis. Overflow hotel costs are projected to run $44 million annually.

According to a March local news report, if federal funds expire or a more permanent housing plan does not materialize, hundreds of asylum seekers may find themselves out on the streets. Of the more than 1,000 currently housed, 700 are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Haiti.

If the legislature does not step in with a bill currently drafted to raise migrant cost reimbursements from 70 to 90 percent, West concluded the property tax could be raised by 15 percent in a state that already ranks number one for the highest property taxes as a percentage of personal income. Otherwise, taxpayers could see $13 million in existing services transferred to the migrant population.

The Maine legislature is scheduled to adjourn on April 20, while an ultimate local budget decision announcement is set for April 25.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.