A bipartisan bill imposing an “impact fee” on megayachts has been introduced by Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) and co-sponsored by Rep. Grayson B. Lookner (D-Portland).
The fees collected under this law would go toward supporting harbor infrastructure and public transit.
Under the proposed legislation, “megayachts” are defined as “privately owned pleasure vessel[s]” that are over 150 feet in length.
Exempted from this definition are a large range of vessels, including those used to fishing, research, construction, or military purposes.
More specifically, commercial fishing vessels, commercial cruise vessels with over 20 passengers, commercial scientific research vessels, marine salvage or construction equipment vessels, commercial freight-carrying vessels, vessels built before 1950, vessels made primarily of wood, military vessels, and vessels owned by an academic institution would not be included under the definition of “megayacht.”
Vessels that do fall under the category of “megayacht” would be charged a fee of $10 per foot over the 150 threshold for every consecutive day that it is docked, up to 30 days.
Municipalities would be permitted to keep 10 percent of the fees collected under this law, while the remaining 90 percent would be sent to the state government’s newly-created Megayacht Fund.
Fifty percent of money collected in the Megayact Fund would need to be spent on supporting municipalities’ harbor infrastructure and sea level rise mitigation infrastructure.
The remaining 50 percent would be used to support public transit infrastructure, including ferries and land-based public transportation.
“This was a bill last year that had wide bipartisan support, ended up on the Appropriations Table, was ultimately enacted last May and put on the Governor’s desk,” Sen. Bennett explained in a statement to the Maine Wire. “She pocket-vetoed the bill along with 34 others that would put on her desk that day for bad reasons.”
“Megayachts in our waters have positive economic effects but also have externalities, taking up slip space, dumping refuse in our offshore waters, and carbon emisssions,” Bennett said. “By one estimate, if megayachts were their own country, they would be 110th out of 211 in carbon emissions.”
“These vessels can easily cost more than $200,000 per week to operate, so the impact fees being assessed will be a minuscule cost to the owners,” he concluded. “Funds would go to preserving marine infrastructure and public transportation, like ferries.”
LD 115 will now go to a public hearing and be considered further by members of the Maine Legislature’s Transportation Committee.
Each year when the revenues go down we can just lower the mega yacht LOA, maybe down to 8 FT.to tax more folks, so no one can have a boat!
Didn’t other states do this and the rich just dock somewhere else?
My goodness the Republicans in Augusta are proving to be spineless gits.
A herd of RINOs.
Is everyone in Maine state, county and local government total IDIOTS? Seriously drive away the easiest revenue generator. Its an epidemic thru the state even the Maine citizens are IDIOTS because they keep voting these people into office time and time again!!!
The Democrats have destroyed everything else in the State of Laime. They might as well finish off tourism. The -9% last year will be 18% …..
They think all the rich and famous are coming to Maine because Trump Kid bough a hunting cap in northern Maine. They are all going to Iceland now.
axylos–YES THEY ARE!
May be the can anchor off Wood Is. light and go into Biddeford for a fine meal at MacDonalds!
Another dumb idea, I guess Bennett never heard of cutting spending. Those mega yachts contribute a lot of money to marinas, fuel, groceries etc.
How is easily we forget the taxes instituted on boats that virtually killed the boat building industry in Maine. Use tax, personal property tax, excise tax, property tax, etc.
So 3 50′ yachts is different, how? These targeted taxes are wrong. Bennett should be ashamed to call himself a Republican, where is the MeGOP on this?
Lets do tour busses next, or just charge by the car full at the borders. Say $50/head.
Dem “MEGA YACHTS” all got one or two hunks of funny shaped iron hanging off’n der bow. To save $1500 dey can drop ’em into da water and bring the big money people into land in the dinks. This is another numb socialist idea to sock it to the rich, and cleverly keep them from bringing their boats and their money to Maine waters. Next let’s drop the overall length and charge more per foot, that way even fewer of des nasty rich ones will come East of NH.
I thinks tax on private jets would also be a big money maker.
The only reason he gave the medal to Clinton was so he could smell her hair just one more time . Biden is a creep .
It’s going to cost more to collect the taxes than they’ll get out of them. So they’ll have to expand the tax to accomplish anything.
Johnny B– He is a TRADER, a Benedict ARNOLD!
The last ship over 150 ft i saw in Saco Bay was a US Navy Destroyer. It was in the late seventies. Truy to collect a fee from them Governor!
And why do privet ships pollute more than government ships ?