Washington County Asks Towns to Pay Taxes Early to Address Budget Crisis

Washington County asks towns to pay taxes early

Residents fill a courtroom in Machias during a Washington County commissioners meeting on Sept. 11, 2025. Photo by Daniel O'Connor of the Bangor Daily News.Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between The Maine Monitor and the Bangor Daily News, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers. Washington County is asking municipalities to send their 2026 property taxes e…

Washington County asks towns to pay taxes early to address budget crisis

Washington County is asking municipalities to send their 2026 property taxes early to help cover the approximately $8 million in debt it must pay by the end of the year. County commissioners voted Wednesday to accept early payments of municipal taxes for 2026 in order to pay off at least some of its short-term loan, which state law requires it to repay by Dec. 31. By paying early, municipalities may avoid any further interest costs the county mi…

Jonesport Weighs Options to Pay Share of County Debt

By Nancy Beal Jonesport selectmen met in a hastily-called special session Nov. 12 to decide what to recommend to townspeople about paying its share of the outstanding county loan from Machias Savings Bank due at the end of the year. The county debt is in the form of a tax anticipation note (TAN) — money the county, whose fiscal year corresponds with the calendar year, borrows every year to pay its bills before tax money from towns starts being r…