Maine is not a state where residents are flush with money.
The riches are family values, lots of outdoor natural memories growing up. But sometimes the cost of living can increase needlessly. Because overspending in the public sector happens. Frivolous or resistant to change enter the picture in small Maine towns.
Getting your money’s worth, careful impulse control on the spending.
Not because you are cheap. But due to being frugal in the simplest approach to living, working, playing outdoors in Maine.
Recognizing, readjusting and pulling back hard on the reins. In constant review of any and all expenditures. That makes the insulated, less responsive administration top heavy with salary bloat. Reallocating the resources for the troops.
Doing the actual hands on working hard in the many trenches in small town living in Maine.
Avoiding unnecessary upper level positions is hard because it all gets political.
The survival of this job means partnerships to protect another position or program that no longer has funding. Whether needed or not. From outside the system is where the adjustment needed comes from to ratchet down the spending. Better sooner than later in a small Maine town. If not being done within the existing system.
To make sure where the resources are needed most are addressed first. Lubricated with public funds raised through taxation of all kinds.
Ah, but the master plan that is fairest across the board.
Not cherry picked to meet hidden agendas or to end up being lopsided spending.
Overspending makes folks leave small Maine towns from the burden it creates across the board.
Sure, an element of the population in small Maine towns can afford to absorb the higher taxes that lands in the mailbox. But the bulk of the tiny communities Maine is known for can not for long.
Overspending is a cancer in a small Maine town that creates the nail for the coffin. To guarantee it’s death. The loss of population because residents and their families are forced to leave. Not by choice, by simple economics.
I used to feel better about older Maine police cruisers that you knew logged more mileage on the dashboard odometers.
Not ones swankier than most Mainer’s park in their garages and driveways.
Less upper end school administration positions and more teaches with feet on the ground in the classrooms is where the budget should target too.
We get creative in our households in Maine to adjust the spending when tough times hit.
Why so slow on the municipal level to band aid and avoid a five year plan for direction of the Maine town?
Folks able to work receiving public benefits expected to labor for the community good. Not to embarrass but to contribute for the greater good.
That just supports there is no free lunch if you can work but chose not to… why enable that there is?
Lazy. It is not what the discussion promotes. Around small Maine home supper tables nightly.
Not what we teach our youth when aspiring to be contributing, standing on their own two feet. As they head for adulthood and becoming responsible, an asset to the small Maine town fabric weave.
Public programs of all type. Pruned hard and scaled back tough town decisions. If avoided because of lack of vision, cowardice? Or simpler to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings just not dealing with the hot sensitive topics. Hoping they go away or a miracle happens?
When you love a small town in Maine, you rack your brain to be creative to keep it on the map.
Holding the population steady. Hopeful, loaded with faith and determination to increase the number of residents in it with a plan that is lean, mean, on target.
Adopting new ways to create the revenues to support the essential services. And getting more from the the budget line items across the board in spending. Or shrinking to assure the small Maine town quality of life is preserved for the long run.
Maine small town survival red flags are waving.
No white ones needed in return communication. Plenty of work to do. Pulling closer, acting like a team. Consolidation of services, working together for strong partnerships. For something stronger on the other side.
Because we have to, not because initially everyone wants to is just being progressive. Without finger pointing blame, anger, or denial or further delay. Because we can all agree we love, want to preserve, pass on the small town Maine healthy lifestyle.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573