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Unorganized territories update: Penobscot County hears state official on school transport, property valuations and bridge funding
Summary
Harold ‘Chip’ Jones, the state financial administrator for unorganized territories, briefed the commissioners on recent statutory changes, property‑valuation reviews, school-transport rules and bridge funding that affect UT budgets and services.
Harold “Chip” Jones, financial administrator for Maine’s unorganized territories (UTs), told the Penobscot County Commissioners on June 17 that he is pushing to elevate UT needs within state processes and to secure funding to cover education and infrastructure costs.
Jones said the state Department of Education recently changed a rule to allow parents or other private individuals to be paid mileage to transport students in remote UT areas when contract providers are not available. He described the change as a potential cost savings compared with lengthy contracted routes, noting that transporting a single student by contract can cost “$75,000 to $80,000” per school year in extreme cases.
Jones described several statutory and administrative topics affecting UTs: the removal of a fixed minimum petitioner threshold…
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