Soaring taxes threaten longtime residents of Maine’s unorganized territoryBy Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli, The County Staff A recent surge in taxes on long-held generational lands and camps in the state’s unorganized territory threaten Mainers’ ability to hold on to cherished properties. Photo courtesy of Kevin SmithUT TAXES — Unorganized Territory property owners pack a recent meeting in Rockwood to ask Maine Revenue Services staff about a significant property valuation and tax increase for this year. Maine’s Property Tax Division is responsible for maintaining, assessing and collecting property taxes — similar to a municipal tax assessor — in the territory, with 700 tax maps as well as 23,769 real estate and 814 personal property tax accounts. Huntley, from Maine Revenue Services, said the unorganized territory taxes are based on three factors: state services, county services and county taxes. The rates for both the county services and county tax are the cost divided by the valuation of each county’s portion of territory.