Good morning from Augusta.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We are seeing some really astronomical numbers,” said Griffin Dill, who manages the tick lab at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic and Research Laboratory, on the banner year the state’s dog tick population appears to be having. “Last year at this time we had reports in the single digits and so far this year I have received well over 300 reports.” Here’s your soundtrack.
What we’re watching today
The first half of an estimated $500 million in local aid will soon show up in Maine, but governments are in “no rush” to spend it. The Maine Municipal Association called that sum “truly historic” in March as President Joe Biden was preparing to sign the American Rescue Plan. The money is going to come in two tranches in 2021 and 2022, with $260 million going to counties, $118 million to Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, Biddeford and Auburn and another $115 million for the rest of Maine’s cities and towns.
It means there will be big decisions to make in small governments across Maine and the country. Just as Gov. Janet Mills unveiled her plan to spend just over $1.1 billion in stimulus aid earlier this week, counties, cities and towns will have to start making similar plans on a much smaller scale and get buy-in from councilors and selectmen.
Those five major cities plus Cumberland County are expected to get their first payments within weeks, because they have existing direct funding arrangements with the federal government, said Kate Dufour, a lobbyist for the Maine Municipal Association. It could take longer for the rest of the cities and towns, which will get it through a state fund established this week.
But Dufour said local governments should be in “no rush” to spend the aid. Key guidelines for the program are expected next week from the federal government that will establish rules and requirements to both access stimulus funds and report how they will be used.
Conversations are emerging about spending the money on key infrastructure or pooling aid to bring regional projects to bear. While it may take a while for the money to be spent, Dufour said local governments are beginning to discuss good uses for the aid.
Trending topics include broadband and wastewater upgrades and climate change mitigation efforts, she said. But counties and municipalities may also share aid to create larger regional projects that could change Maine’s policy landscape in many ways.
The Maine politics top 3
— “Municipal group defends ‘due diligence’ in vetting buyer of Hampden waste plant,” David Marino, Bangor Daily News: “The group representing more than 100 Maine communities in negotiations to sell a shuttered Hampden trash plant defended its ‘due diligence’ this week in investigating the plant’s prospective buyer following Bangor Daily News reports that the company’s CEO mischaracterized his business’ past work.”
— “Push to reopen US-Canada border receives bipartisan support in Senate,” Alexander MacDougall, BDN: “While voices of U.S. politicians in favor of reopening continue to grow louder, challenges still remain regarding how to reopen safely without further risk of spreading infection. Canada’s vaccine rollout has been slower than in the United States, and newer variants of the virus are causing a surge of cases in several provinces, such as Alberta and Ontario.”
— “Maine Legislature delays next week’s session after 2nd member tests positive for COVID-19,” Michael Shepherd, BDN: “The change, which was announced in a letter to lawmakers from Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, will push the session that had been scheduled for next Thursday at the Augusta Civic Center into the following week.”
A national Republican group has launched online ads targeting Mills over recent conflict with fishermen over offshore wind policies. We told you it could be an electoral issue for Mills after a protest against the governor’s long-range plan to develop offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, which is being vehemently opposed by the fishing industry even though Mills has advanced a 10-year moratorium. State Solutions Inc., a dark-money group affiliated with the Republican Governors Association, announced a slate of digital ads hitting Mills on the issue on Friday.
Today’s Daily Brief was written by Caitlin Andrews and Michael Shepherd. If you’re reading this on the BDN’s website or were forwarded it, you can sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning here.
To reach us, do not reply directly to this newsletter, but contact the political team at mshepherd@bangordailynews.com, candrews@bangordailynews.com or jpiper@bangordailynews.com.