To the editor:
The Towns of Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill were recently successful in ratifying a new Interlocal Agreement, thereby continuing a long standing tradition of cooperation by effectively and efficiently sharing services. At a combined Town Meeting on September 9th, all three towns separately confirmed the agreement with unanimous votes. The meeting was a milestone — it was the first time all three towns had a meeting together and to my knowledge, it is a first for the whole state of Maine. The Interlocal Agreement is a cost-sharing formula that provides significant savings to residents of all three towns and allows for better services than they could afford individually. All three towns share ownership in the buildings, equipment, and administrative costs. While the first Interlocal Agreement was written and approved in 1992, the design started many years beforehand.
In the 1940s Mapleton and Castle Hill shared fire protection that improved the level of service by increasing the number of firefighters responding to a call and more funding for superior equipment. In the mid 1970s all three towns shared office functions. Since Maine laws did not allow towns to share fiscal accounts, special legislation was drafted and was subsequently approved by the Legislature and the Governor. Over the years additional savings were made by avoiding duplicated services. Some examples are having one clerk instead of three, one town office to maintain, and one piece of heavy equipment such as a grader or loader.
During these tough economic times, the many benefits of the Interlocal Agreement become clear and necessary for our sustainability. For the town of Mapleton to provide the same services without the Interlocal Agreement the average homeowner would see a $1,755 increase in their annual tax bill. In other words, the Interlocal Agreement saves the average Mapleton homeowner $1,755 per year. The average homeowner in Chapman saves $1,443 per year in taxes, while a homeowner in Castle Hill saves $2,058 The Interlocal Agreement also allows each town to maintain local control and act independently through separate Select Boards and Planning Boards.
I am very impressed by the insight and leadership of the previous select boards and managers. They have laid a solid foundation for us to build upon. They have also taught us the art of cooperation which is practiced within our current communities today. While collaboration can be difficult, the rewards are worth it.
Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill
