By Zack Anchors

Staff Writer

    Although it appears that each member of the South
Portland City Council will be voting against the Taxpayer’s Bill of
Rights on Election Day, the council has decided not to take any formal
position on the measure. Councilor Rosemarie DeAngelis placed an item
on the agenda of the council’s Oct. 16 meeting that called for a vote
on a resolution in opposition to TABOR. After discussing the resolution
at the meeting and finding that the resolution did not have enough
support on the council to be approved, it was decided to withdraw the
item from the agenda. Several councilors felt that it is not
appropriate for the council to pass a resolution on an issue that will
be decided by voters.

    “I wouldn’t vote for [TABOR] for a million bucks,”
said Councilor Claude Morgan. “But coming up with a resolution is
hubris.”

    Councilor DeAngelis said she felt that on an issue
as important as TABOR the council has a responsibility to take action.

“My feeling is that at best this is very poorly written legislation,”
she said. “I do think we have an obligation to provide leadership and
insight.”

    Councilor Ralph Baxter said it is up to voters to make up their own minds.

    “I don’t believe the council should take a stand,”
he said. “If someone wants to know how I feel about TABOR they can call
me up and ask me.”

    Councilor Morgan suggested the council pass a
“resolution of concern” rather than the resolution in opposition to
TABOR.

    “I would be happy with a resolution that says, ‘hey folks, this is one to keep your eyes on,’” said Morgan.

    After discussion, the council decided that taking
any action on the matter could be misinterpreted and Councilor
DeAngelis withdrew the item from the agenda.

The council also received a presentation from Rob Coombs, South
Portland’s Finance Director, on the potential impact of TABOR on the
city at a workshop before the meeting. His report included an analysis
of how TABOR would have affected the city over the last ten years if it
had been in effect. The report offered two scenarios—one that used the
interpretation of TABOR’s supporters of the measure and one that used
the interpretation of TABOR’s detractors.

    Because the different interpretations produce such
different results, Coombs concludes, “the correct interpretation would
not be known until it has either been modified by the legislature or
interpreted by the courts.”

    In the same conclusion, he described TABOR as “a poorly written."

    Several councilors praised Coombs analysis and encouraged the public to study it before voting.

    “Rob has done a very fair analysis and he’s
portrayed this in a very neutral way,” said Councilor Linda Boudreau.

    City Manager Thaddeus Jankowski said he would put a
link to the report on the home page of the city’s web site,
www.southportland.org.