Dear Editor:

I hope the community will also add Boothbay Railway Village to the list of area nonprofits likely to be affected by the governor’s proposed tax. The museum is situated on four lots currently valued at $436,600 by the town of Boothbay. Two of the four lots are currently assessed as vacant land. It is clear that the museum, along with all area nonprofits, should expect that the towns under this law would seek to revisit the tax value of our properties.

As a member of both the Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) and Maine Archives and Museums (MAM), the entire board is monitoring the issue closely and participating with our sister organizations in outreach and education about the impact of both nonprofits and Maine’s collecting institutions on Maine’s economy and our quality of life.

According to a recent press release by MAM, “Not only do Maine’s collecting institutions function as the caretakers of our cultural heritage, they are work horses in Maine’s economy. MAM members (which comprise only about a third of the state’s total museums and archives) employ hundreds, serve millions, and generate millions in revenue. MAM’s member institutions spend about $26,000,000 annually in goods and services in the state. A study in 2009 showed that Maine’s museums alone generated more than $7,500,000 in tax revenue for local and state government and supported some 1,300 jobs in Maine. This data is proof positive that this community gives far more than it takes.”

The Boothbay Railway Village has been a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) educational organization since 1981. The museum has been a part of this community for even longer, having opened 50 years ago in 1965. Property holdings include irreplaceable historic buildings, artifacts, documents, photographs that are held in trust for the education and enrichment of future generations. The governor's proposal would end tax exemption to the stewards of these historic properties. I hope that your readers will join with me to ask your elected officials to reject this proposal which would cause the Boothbay Railway Village and many other local treasures to diminish quality of what we offer to the public.

Bob McKay

Board Member

Boothbay Railway Village