FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2026
CONTACT: press@bobbycharles.com
AUGUSTA, ME: Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles released his comprehensive 5-point plan to provide immediate and permanent property tax relief to Maine families. Calling the current system a "failed experiment in establishment greed," Charles vowed to dismantle the "Augusta Kickback Scheme" and return power and money to the hardworking citizens of Maine.
"For too long, Augusta has been passing the buck to our towns and counties, forcing your property taxes through the roof to pay for their radical mandates," said Bobby Charles. "Maine now suffers from one of the worst property tax burdens in the entire country. It’s not just a math problem; it’s a moral failing that is pricing the middle class out of their own homes and destroying the American Dream for the next generation. My plan stops the bleeding, drains the overhead, and puts Mainers first."
The Charles Plan focuses on five pillars of fiscal sanity:
Augusta makes the rules, but you pay the bill. Charles will immediately roll back the unfunded mandates the state dumps on local towns and schools. By stopping the state from forcing municipalities to spend money they don’t have, the Charles administration will create immediate breathing room for local tax cuts.
40% of local school budgets are currently swallowed by administrative overhead. Charles will incentivize districts to cut bloated "woke" bureaucracy and back-office waste, lowering the burden on local taxpayers.
Charles will massively expand the Homestead Exemption for every citizen, specifically targeting seniors on fixed incomes, veterans, young families and first-time homebuyers. Unlike previous "empty promises," these exemptions will be fully funded at the state level so they do not add a dime of burden to municipal budgets.
The plan recognizes that tax relief requires a safer, more affordable environment. By slashing energy costs and getting tough on crime, the Charles administration will reduce the massive utility and public safety overhead that currently inflates local tax bills.
Charles took direct aim at the state’s broken "revenue sharing" system, which currently rewards high spending at the local level. "The current system is an Augusta kickback scheme that incentivizes local governments to keep your taxes high," Charles noted. "We are going to flip the script. My administration will reward fiscal discipline and favor the municipalities that actually lower their rates and practice fiscal responsibility."
"The era of treating your home like a government ATM is over," Charles concluded. "We’re going to drain the overhead, restore accountability, and make Maine affordable again."
