Toddy Pond Cost Estimator

Annual Cost to Fund Toddy Pond Watershed Management District

How it works...

This tool provides illustrative estimates of the potential costs to property owners in each of Blue Hill, Penobscot, and Surry in each of the scenarios where Toddy Dam is removed (wherein the lake level would decrease by an estimated 8 feet) versus the dam being taken over by a newly formed Toddy Pond Watershed Management District. In the case where the dam is removed, tax assessors in each town have estimated that the assessed value of land for properties on the lake would likely reduce by about 50%. The resulting decrease in property taxes in each town would need to be recovered by increasing the tax rate on all of that town's property owners.

In the case where the District assumes ownership of the dam, its annual budget would be divided proportionally among the three towns plus Orland (who is also considering a parallel District for Alamoosook Lake) based on the relatively share of waterfront property on the lake within each town. Subject to voter approval in each town, that town's share of the annual budget would be allocated 50% to Toddy Pond waterfront property owners and 50% across all tax-paying property owners in that town. After the first two years of the District's formation, towns vote each year whether to allocate funds to the District (a 'no' vote means the waterfront owners assume all of that town's share of the District costs). Waterfront property owners' contributions to the lake-owners' share of the District's annual budget are based on each owner's share of their town's shoreline frontage.

This is an estimate of the shorefront footage, measured (as a straight line) from where the property lines of the property meet Toddy Pond. For properties with substantially more than 250' of frontage, you can enter any number greater than 250' — the law provides that all such properties will be treated as if they have 250' of frontage.

User Inputs

1) In what town is the property?
2) What is the property's most recent assessed taxable value?
This is the amount of the property's annual tax assessment against which the town calculates property taxes due. It is not estimated market value.
3) Does the property have waterfront access to Toddy Pond?
   3a) Estimate the length of the property's shorefront footage:
4. Assumed annual budget for Toddy Pond Watershed Management District:
Based on engineering studies of Toddy Pond dam and the costs of owning/operating similar dams in Maine, the Narramissic Watershed Coalition provided these estimates for the District's annual budget as reasonable representations of each of three scenarios:
  1. $75,000 / year as a baseline budget for basic operations and maintenance.
  2. $100,000 in years where significant repairs are planned.
  3. $200,000 / year if the District takes out a long term loan (at municipal interest rates) to substantially replace the dam.

Results: Non-waterfront Property Owner

Estimated current property tax:
Estimated property tax increase if the Toddy Pond dam is removed:
Property tax increase if the Toddy Pond dam is retained and the town votes to contribute 50% of the District's annual budget:

Results: Toddy Pond Waterfront Property Owner

Estimated current property tax
Estimated incremental costs to retain Toddy Pond dam:
   Waterfront property assessment:
   Property tax increase (if town taxpayers contribute 50%):