MAINE MONITOR • April 3, 2026
The Lubec Board of Selectmen is moving forward with a plan to ask land trusts and other nonprofit landowners to make voluntary contributions to help offset lost property tax revenue. The board discussed the issue at last week’s meeting as part of a broader conversation about how tax‑exempt properties affect the town’s tax base. Selectman Dan Daley noted that some nonprofits already contribute to the town’s finances and infrastructure. He pointed to Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s construction of the boat ramp at Bailey’s Mistake and the support the organization provided to the town of Whiting in repairing its dam. Under state law, land trusts have been categorically exempt from paying property taxes. Some land trusts with property in Lubec, like Downeast Coastal Conservancy, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, or MCHT, and The Nature Conservancy, nevertheless choose to keep their property designated as “open spaces,” and therefore taxable, as a way of giving back to the town.