Lewiston-Auburn ( Maine) Tax Coalitions

 

December, 2005

Lewiston , a town of approximately 36,000 in Maine, shares a river with its smaller neighbor, Auburn, and a family of mayors (the mayor of Auburn is the brother of the mayor of Lewiston). They also share the Lewiston-Auburn Tax Credit Awareness Coalition and local media that promote the initiative in a very favorable light.

Coalition Co-Chairs for 2005 Tax Season: Mary LaFontaine and Dottie Perham-Whittier pictured here at February 2005 "Super Saturday.

After Council President Renee Bernier, Councilor Lillian LaFontaine O’Brien, and Councilor Ronald Jean traveled to Boston in June of 2003 to observe that city’s successful EITC campaign, the Boston EITC Campaign Manager was invited to Lewiston to further brainstorm with both elected officials and Coalition members as to what could be undertaken within the Lewiston-Auburn community. The rest is history, and from the last two years’ Coalition efforts, over one million dollars in federal refunds have gone back into the pockets of area residents.

The Lewiston-Auburn Tax Credit Awareness Coalition, now in its 3 rd year, is busy planning for the forthcoming tax season, which will officially kick off with a press conference on January 17, 2006. Both Mayors are again expected to highlight what the EITC means to eligible families, and the media is expected to again provide broad coverage. Last year, three TV stations, three print publications, and a radio station extensively covered various aspects of the campaign.

Last year’s community partners included the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, the IRS, the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, Androscoggin County Head Start and Child Care, Maine Center for Financial Education, Andover College, Lewiston Career Center, Casey Family Services, Lewiston Housing Authority, Auburn Housing Authority, South Paris Career Center, Key Bank, Community Credit Union, Coastal Enterprises, Lewiston Adult Education (where Charles Swett, IRS Senior Tax Specialist, teaches a tax class and recruits tax preparation volunteers), and the AARP Tax Aide Program. New partners are anticipated to be added for the 2006 tax season. The Coalition’s efforts are funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In 2005, the Coalition operated three tax preparation sites, which were open at different times throughout each week; held a “Super Saturday” with a site at Andover College from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; and supported a rural outreach site at the South Paris Career Center. It will follow a similar pattern this year, with the inclusion of a “mega site” and utilizing a library in Norway, Maine, as a rural outreach site.

The Coalition conducts vast outreach through community partners and the media. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce faithfully sends out information electronically to its 1,200-plus membership, and as the Coalition gears up for the 2006 tax season, the Chamber President has sent personalized information to members whom he believes would have the most potential to recruit for volunteer tax preparers.

Dottie Perham-Whittier, Coalition Co-Chair & Lewiston’s Community Relations Coordinator, praises the local media for their “ unbelievable support,” noting that the press has been “ very responsive in informing the public as to the need for tax prep volunteers and about the EITC itself.” Gearing up for the 2006 tax season, Dottie is assisted by Coalition Co-Chair Chris Adler, Training Coordinator for Androscoggin County Head Start & Child Care.

A new outreach method this year will distribute flyers throughout all the elementary schools in Lewiston; if volunteer numbers effectively meet the demand for tax preparation, next year the Coalition will extend such distribution to the Auburn elementary schools and seek to even further enlarge its volunteer base.

Though flyers will again be in French, Somali, Spanish, and English this year, a very small response to the free tax preparation opportunity has occurred from non-English-speaking/limited-English-speaking individuals. The Coalition is hoping to attract more such members of the community through possible promotion via Lewiston Adult Education, which holds ESL classes. Also as part of outreach, the City of Lewiston provides a dedicated website page on the EITC, which is updated and launched as each annual tax season draws near.

From January 17 – March 31, 2006, the Mayor of Lewiston will provide the use of his office, with a dedicated phone line, as a site for the volunteer scheduler to schedule appointments for tax clients. For the 2006 tax season, the Coalition has selected an Andover College, Lewiston, accounting student to serve as the campaign’s volunteer scheduler. The scheduler will commence his duties immediately following the January 17 th press conference. The Coalition is also pleased that the scheduler wants to serve as an actual tax preparer as well.

 

Mayor Lionel C. Guay, Jr.(center), addresses a group of community non-profit agency representative who met on November 1, 2005, with members of the Lewiston-Auburn Tax Credit Awareness Coalition to learn more about EITC

After dipping its toes in the waters of asset building last year, the Twin Cities Coalition is heavily focused on enhancing the asset building piece this year.

On that note, Mark Millar, Division Director of Casey Family Services, excited the crowd at a November 1, 2005, Coalition meeting with area nonprofits in regard to the potential for asset building and by explaining what taxpayers can do with their refunds. Mark will also be at a “Super Saturday” site again this year promoting asset-building opportunities to clients. Millar’s assistant, Florence Young, attends most Coalition meetings and provides invaluable support.

Coalition member Jill Lorom of Coastal Enterprises Inc. was a “big hit” at the nonprofit meeting, as she shared information about matching Individual Development Accounts currently at a 3-1 match. Head Start family advocates present were particularly eager to give that information to the moms and dads with whom they work. Reta Herrick of the Lewiston Housing Authority also shared that the LHA has some matching opportunities for asset building.

To further stress asset building, the Coalition plans to have the volunteer tax preparers more versed on the subject this year so they can share information at the time of actual tax preparation.

On “Super Saturday,” February 12, 2005, 43 taxpayers requested follow-up for asset-building opportunities, which were highlighted on site by financial institutions. Community Credit Union opened accounts onsite, and Coastal Enterprises and Key Bank supplied information. Maine’s Financial Center for Education also furnished information about educational program offerings.

Coalition members Brian Clark of Maine’s Financial Center for Education IRS’ Charles Swett, CEI’s Jill Lorom, Volunteers of America’s Patricia Kimball, and Casey Family Services’ Florence Young recently returned from an action learning institute in New Hampshire entitled, ”Strengthening Rural Families”,” and brought back information and ideas to further assist area families. The institute was sponsored by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Services, and the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has granted $7,500 to the Coalition each year. This money pays for a Site Coordinator (KC Geiger both last year and the upcoming 2006 season), supplies, food for events, and outreach. New this year is a partnership between the IRS and the Department of Justice Community Capacity Development “Weed & Seed” Program. Androscoggin County is a Weed & Seed site that strives to strengthen communities through crime prevention, safe haven programs for youth, and asset building within families. The partnership has resulted in technical assistance, laptop computers, and site setup for a “mega site” at the Multi-Purpose Center in Lewiston, which is centrally located for the EITC’s target population.

Last year’s 21 volunteers came from staff at Bates College, Andover College, a tax class at Lewiston Adult Education, Chamber of Commerce outreach, and in response to media promotion. Volunteers took a 12-hour basic tax preparation course facilitated by Charles Swett, who is a vital part of the Lewiston-Auburn Coalition. It is hoped that many more volunteers may be recruited this year with the hopes of doubling the 387 tax returns that were e-filed during the 2005 tax season.

Maine has four EITC coalitions, of which the Lewiston-Auburn Tax Credit Awareness Coalition has been the State leader during the 2004 and 2005 tax seasons—both in total federal refunds and total EITC refunds. Last year, Casey Family Services brought representatives from the four coalitions together to exchange ideas, and Key Bank printed a statewide brochure with localized inserts for each coalition.

Dottie, now in her third year of involvement, says about the EITC program, “It has personally and professionally been very rewarding to learn about—and advocate for—a program that financially assists members of the community. It is a wonderful opportunity to work towards an extra boost for both families and their future endeavors.”

Story by Don Wedd and Dottie Perham-Whittier