One new law sponsored by Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, and another sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, both went into effect Friday, Aug. 9.

L.D. 2162, sponsored by Ankeles, will help protect fishermen’s access to Maine’s working waterfront. L.D. 1967, sponsored by Sachs, will support municipal franchise agreements.

Dan Ankeles. Courtesy photo

Rising home values, particularly on the coast, have increased the tax burden on working waterfront property owners, making it harder for them to continue to earn a living, according to a prepared release by the Maine Legislature House Democratic Office. L.D. 2162 strengthens the working waterfront section of the current land use tax program, which provides tax relief for owners of land designated as working waterfront. By strengthening the program and adjusting certain recapture penalties, Mainers who use their own residence for their commercial fishing business will have a larger incentive to enroll.

“Fishermen, growers and harvesters in Maine are being squeezed from all angles, from weather and climate events to market forces, regulations and the overheated real estate market,” Ankeles said in the release. “We can’t afford to lose any more working waterfront properties if we want to protect Mainers’ livelihoods in both established and emerging marine industries. While more still needs to be done, this increase in available tax relief and relaxation of the penalties in the working waterfront current use program is an important and necessary change.”

Melanie Sachs. Joe Phelan / Kennebec Journal file photo

L.D. 1967 preserves local control for Maine towns to use the revenue from franchise agreements — which outline the terms of service between a town and any entity that would like to sell their entertainment products over infrastructure located in the public right of way, like poles and wires — as they see fit for their community. The law also provides a dispute resolution process for communities through the Public Utilities Commission and holds companies accountable to provide statutorily required services, such as transmitting programs in HD format and laying fiber in rural areas.

“This legislation safeguards Maine towns from incurring expensive legal battles with cable companies to enforce their franchise agreements,” Sachs said in a prepared release. “Communities can utilize the funds from these agreements to reduce property taxes or invest in local infrastructure. It also requires accountability from these companies to our communities. I’m pleased to see this law go into effect.”

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