A controversial state tax incentive program is up for renewal this year, but some members of the legislature aren’t sure it should be extended again. And it’s not the first time the program’s benefits to the state have been questioned.
In 2003, the legislature created the Pine Tree Development Zone program, which grants 10-year state income tax credits and sales tax exemptions to businesses that create jobs in certain industries that have an overall compensation package better than the county average. The only counties that don’t qualify for the incentives are Cumberland and York counties, although some specific municipalities within those counties are eligible, according to a Maine Office of Business Development explainer. Read more
