Former House Democratic Leader Maureen Terry of Gorham scoffed at then-Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) for proposing a 2021 bill to increase Maine’s Homestead Exemption to $50,000 on the basis that “taxation is theft.”
The bill would have increased Maine’s Homestead Exemption from $25,000 to $50,000, thereby lowering the amount of property taxes many Mainers are required to pay.
As Faulkingham was introducing his bill, Rep. Terry could be seen in the Zoom recording of the committee hearing sneering, making faces, and laughing, as if the idea of helping reduce the property taxes was too ridiculous for the Taxation Committee to consider.
Terry probably thought differently when her own property taxes came due for the $350,000 home she owns in Gorham.
According to the Cumberland County Registry of Deeds, Terry was hit with a large municipal lien for unpaid property taxes in Aug. 2021 — just four months after she laughed off Rep. Faulkingham’s suggestion that property taxes were too high.
According to the lien, the town of Gorham took action against Terry in 2022 in order to collect on $2,480.75 in unpaid property taxes.
Again, in 2022, as Terry was campaign for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives, the town of Gorham was once again forced to take action against Terry over a large, unpaid property tax bill.
According to county records, Gorham filed a lien of more than $3,500 against Terry’s property.
Ironically, a $50,000 Homestead Exemption would have considerably decreased the amount of property taxes Terry owed — perhaps to a low enough level where she could have afforded to pay her taxes on time.
Although Terry is not running this year for reelection to the House of Representatives, her husband, Parnell Terry, is running for the same seat.
According to the couples’ financial disclosures, Maureen Terry operates a small business — 3 Daughters Cookie Co. — out of the same address against which the two municipal liens were filed.
Interestingly, in 2022, at the same time Gorham officials were attempting to collect more than $3,500 in unpaid property taxes from Terry, the Democrat pol had applied for and received more than $4,000 in taxpayer funding to buy campaign materials.
Like his wife, Parnell Terry is also running for office this year as a so-called “clean” candidate, meaning he’s applied for and received taxpayer dollars to buy yard signs, bumper stickers, and other campaign supplies.
Campaign finance records indicate that he has received more than $7,500 in taxpayer cash for his campaign.
Regardless of whether Terry succeeds in reclaiming his wife’s seat in the House of Representatives, trouble may still be on the horizon for the Terry family.
That’s because the city of Gorham voted narrowly in June in favor of a $53 million school budget that will cause property taxes in the town to increase by more than nine percent.
While Rep. Terry may have thought it was hilarious for Rep. Faulkingham to suggest property taxes in Maine are too high, she may be wishing she had a $50,000 Homestead Exemption when the next property tax bill hits her mailbox.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="30538 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=30538">10 Comments
Its like watching a dumb dog play in the road.
“HA HA..”
There are certain things in life I just can’t understand. How people can abuse dogs and cats. How a parent can kill their child and then in the most cowardly act kill themselves. How we’ve come to the point we’ll vote for someone who believes in post-birth abortion. We have a mojor political party whose goal is the destruction of America. People have been conned into thinking the opposite party are the party of the Nazi’s, who want to starve your kids and put every one in chains who doesn’t agree with them. If a democrat makes an accusation against a republican it means they are the ones doing the deed. Remember the Russian collusion against Trump when in fact Hillary was hiring a Russian spy to come up with a fake dossier against her opponent. It was she who gave millions in cash to the Iranians and gave away our uranium reserves to the Russians. Are we so stupid not to see what the Democrats are doing to this country. Democrats used to be the party of free speech and social justice. They were also the party of racism and oligarchy. Now they are the party of pure evil. Do as I say and not as I do. And the media are their complicit accomplices. And now they’re running neck in neck with Trump. If Kamala wins cover your behind and buy a gun. You’re going to need to protect your family. We won’t be able to trust the government with anything.
My taxes up 25% this year in yarmouth. I wrote to the town council in great protest. So far nothing. I encourage all to rattle their cage.
Hey Maine !
Keep voting for those Democrats !
They will do their best to make your life worse while nodding their heads and chanting about hope and joy .
Remember Deborah Birx? Be very skeptical of women wearing scarves.
Are the people of Gorham stupid enough to vote for her husband? If so then they deserve what they get. Taxes for thee and not for me. By the way, what’s with the color thing in the pic?
That rag around her neck –
Is that the new Southern Maine version of a Hamas Muslim scarf ?
I hope she loses her home to taxes, or can’t afford heating oil if she pays them . You get what you vote for babe . I wish these democrat assholes would leave Maine and go somewhere where people want them . Massachusetts ? New York ?
Anywhere but here !
I love the mailing cost charges. oh my word..
Trump changes his mind all the time. Look at his abortion policies. Leaders trying to appeal to more people IS important. Broaden your base, increase support, unify us as Americans. I know people love to yell about not being heard. But then when a leader says they hear them… those people keep yelling about someone agreeing with them? It’s ok to agree. IT IS OK TO FIND COMMON GROUND.
MAGA GOP has lost its mind. They just want to disagree – that is their entire intellectual end game. Even when you agree with them they work so hard to find new disagreements. MAGA GOP, you don’t have to be outraged all the time especially when people agree with you.
Can you stop yelling for just a second and listen to the rest of us? Turn the Fox News off and come play some pool and put some music on the juke box at the bar like a normal person.