An Open Letter To The Ellsworth Walmart

Hey Walmart people, pay your Ellsworth property tax bill.

Your building on Myrick Street is not "dark", the lights are on, and there are people waiting in line at the checkout. You gotta be making money.

Everyone goes to Walmart. We go almost every week. We buy water, paper towels and cat litter. Sometimes we get bread, birdseed, and meds. We left $60 there this past Saturday.

There were a bunch of cars in the parking lot there this past Saturday. You gotta be making money.

I know that it's not enough, it never is for money-sucking machines.

You filed a tax abatement with the City of Ellsworth in 2017, and now again this year. You want your tax bill cut in half. Because in your eyes that's what the place would be worth if you shut the lights off, abandoned it, and put such a novel-looking building up for sale.

We know it's really all business in the corporate world, where behemoths like you pay others to put Maine cities, towns, and our state government through the routine. The routine of trying to lower property tax bills. It's a gamble and sometimes it pays off, making the process worthwhile to your shareholders for years to come.

While the locals spend their money there, buying toilet paper, cereal, and underwear. The same locals that pay their entire property tax bill, year after year.

We remember back in 2009 when you left behind your novel-looking building on the Bar Harbor road. The one that was eventually sold.

Anyway, we truly hope that you end up paying the rest of your property tax bill to the City of Ellsworth so that you are in good standing and continue to support the community. The community that wants to send their kids to a good school, have their trash picked up, and be able to call a cop or the fire department when needed.

The same community that supports you.