Assessors defer regional funding formula changes, seek updated housing counts and service-area confirmation

At a Feb. 24, 2026 meeting hosted by Sandy River Plantation, the Board of Assessors deferred consideration of changes to the region’s shared-service funding formula until updated housing-unit counts and confirmation of service areas are provided.

The formula, used to allocate costs for shared services such as fire protection and transfer-station operations, historically relies on three primary data points, board members said. Members raised concerns that previously used census figures may no longer reflect recent growth and asked municipalities to bring updated housing data to the next comparative review.

Public commenter Mark Beauregard urged adding distance as a factor in the allocation formula, saying distance matters for unorganized territories that receive fire protection from neighboring departments. Linda Jones, representing Dallas Plantation, questioned how density would be addressed if distance were added, noting different development patterns and call volumes across the region. Representatives from the Town of Rangeley said existing contract fees for some unorganized territories appear to offset costs associated with service provision.

Sandy River Plantation participants also flagged gaps in documentation about which unorganized territories are served by neighboring fire departments; meeting records show at least one territory identified as receiving service, while other potential coverage areas in Franklin County had not been clearly accounted for. The board agreed that confirming covered service areas and collecting updated housing counts are prerequisites for any formula changes.

The Rangeley Town Manager, Joe Roach, agreed to follow up with the requested housing figures and to confirm which Franklin County unorganized territories are covered by neighboring departments. No formal motion or vote was taken.

Note: The meeting record is a summarized set of minutes and does not include verbatim quotations; the article paraphrases statements as recorded in the minutes.