Former Alna selectman Chris Cooper urged selectmen February 28 to speak out against Gov. Paul LePage's proposed cuts in state funding to towns.

“I think you have to scream bloody murder,” Cooper, the longtime moderator of Alna's town meetings, said. “It's inconceivable to me how any board of selectmen in any town could see that as anything but out and out theft of one of the few things the state does that benefits the towns.”

Cooper predicted unless towns speak up, legislators would likely go along with the LePage plan. “They take the path of least resistance,” he said. “We need rough and beat-up guys such as yourselves fighting for the interests of these towns.”

In responding to Cooper's comments,  selectmen were mixed on when and how to respond to the governor's proposal. They briefly considered drafting a letter, but took no action. They wondered what weight the letter would carry unless it outlined specific impacts the cuts would have on the town.

Second Selectman Jonathan Villeneuve said he didn't want to react to the all the talk of cuts without seeing a state budget proposal. “Let's see what's actually in the thing that would be totally egregious,” he said.

Villeneuve questioned how the state will pay its bills without making some cuts. “How are we going to pay the hospitals,” he asked. He's angry about how much he pays in taxes, he said.

First Selectman David Abbott, who's been voicing his concern about LePage's proposal since January, agreed with Cooper that the board should already be opposing the cuts.

“If we wait till it becomes law, it's too late,” Abbott said.

Third Selectman David Reingardt said the possibility of cuts might be a reason for the town to put more money aside for its next property revaluation. If the Legislature makes some alternative plan like applying the cuts to towns that aren't up-to-date on their revaluations, Alna may want to be ready to do one, he said.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.