We learned this week that what we know about Maine’s unorganized territories would fit on a pin head. Our former superintendent of schools and noted Maine history author, Harold B. Clifford, would not have been pleased with our ignorance. We knew that they exist (a relative lives in one in the Farmington area) but we had no idea how they worked, or that so many of them exist. Maine has 400 with no town government or services as such, dependent upon county and state government for services. Unorganized territories land represents more than half of our state, with 9,000 residents, and only South Dakota and North Dakota have more land with this designation. Nationally, unorganized territories represent 85,392 square miles located in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina and North Dakota, as well as here.

Aroostook County has the largest number of unorganized territories in the state. One town in the county, Cary, originally a logging camp, recently made the news when it applied to become unorganized because its dwindling population can’t afford to pay taxes. Generally, towns which close down their own municipal services and choose to become unorganized territories find their tax burden declines substantially, although there are factors which must be considered. With no schools of their own, they aren’t entitled to any school subsidy, so those who live in the territory must pay the tuition costs for its students. Cary reportedly has only eight — not bad.  However, apparently the state considers Cary’s population which exceeds 200 to be a little high for them to qualify for making the change and is denying their request because of the potential cost to county and state government to pick up the tab for the town’s overall expenses, which obviously include road maintenance and snow plowing.

Aroostook County towns, which recently received approval to disband, included Bancroft, population only around 60, and Oxbow, 66 residents. Bancroft’s tax rate reportedly dropped from over $22 to less than $7, which makes it easy to understand why so many really small towns simply can’t afford municipal government of their own. Most of Maine’s counties include territories that don’t support their own governments. Here in Lincoln County, much of the land is on islands – Bar, Haddock, Hungry, Indian, Marsh, Muscongus, Ross, Western Egg Rock. The only unorganized territory on the list that we recognized as such was Hibbert’s  Gore.

In coming years, more and more small towns currently furnishing municipal services to their residents will no doubt be applying to the Legislature to let the county and state handle all of their financial affairs in an effort to lower their tax burden. In some instances, it could be a win-win situation, and in others, one side loses.