STRONG — Selectmen Chairman Jim Burrill told the board Tuesday that he will ask a state official to meet with them to explain how towns successfully collect personal property taxes.

Selectman Mike Pond said he made a list of names of those who have personal property on which they do not pay taxes.

Maine law requires those who have personal property valued at more than $1,000 to pay taxes to the municipality, unless the property is specifically exempt. Commonly taxed items include tractors, cargo trailers, office furniture, tools and items used to generate income.

If those who should be paying tax on personal property do not pay, the burden falls unfairly on other taxpayers, Pond said.

He also presented a list of 45 people and businesses who claim a total of $1.5 million in personal property for which they pay taxes. Selectmen reviewed the list.

“There are so many people that should be on this list that are not on this list,” Pond said.

He suggested selectmen allow a $20,000 exemption for those who do pay to eliminate most of the smaller tax accounts on the list.

Town Treasurer and Tax Collector Sandra Mitchell sends a form to residents to declare personal property, but she has no way to collect the taxes owed.

Selectmen rely on town assessing agent Robert Worthley to provide information on taxable real estate and personal property. Deciding how to tax everyone fairly has always been a complex and difficult task, selectmen agreed.

Pond said he knows of more than three dozen residents who have personal property used in their businesses who don’t pay the tax. He said he has approached Worthley about the issue several times.

“You’ve never taxed Steve Mitman on his sap house, ever,” he told Worthley. “It is a business, and it isn’t fair for some people not to pay and the rest of us pay.”

If someone is a mechanic and works on cars at night, that person should pay personal property taxes on equipment purchased to operate the business, Pond suggested.

“If you sell anything, you are a business,” he said.

Pond insisted that selectmen were obligated to pursue those who are not paying the taxes owed or give those who are paying the tax a financial break.

He said he wasn’t trying to pry into people’s personal affairs, but he wanted to see everyone treated fairly.

If selectmen levied the $20,000 exemption for current personal property taxpayers, the town would lose $296,420.

Selectman Milt Baston asked Pond how to make up for that revenue.

“Everyone’s going to have to make it up in (real estate) property tax,” Pond said.

Baston suggested collecting personal property taxes owed, rather than giving a $20,000 exemption.

“What about people who sell on the Internet?” board Chairman Jim Burrill asked.

He said he would ask Mike Rogers, supervisor of municipal services for Maine Revenue Services, to attend a selectmen meeting to explain how other towns successfully collect personal property tax or what the alternatives are, if any.