Eligible Maine residents can count on a rebate from the state to help pay their property taxes.

Revaluations in towns to ensure the property-tax burden is equitably distributed and increases in local property taxes have placed many Maine families under financial stress.

The Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund Program existed before, but now individuals who earn up to $75,000 or $100,000 per family and spend more than 4 percent of their income on property taxes or rent are eligible for the Circuit Breaker program.

Eligible Maine residents can receive a partial refund of property taxes and or rent paid on their primary residence.

"It's for people who can't afford property taxes, and it really works," said Washington Selectwoman Kathleen Ocean. "We've helped a lot of elderly people on fixed incomes who actually get a rebate from the state."

Janice Bradford, town clerk in Whitefield, said she's only had a few people come in and fill out the application. She said the booklet includes a flow chart that shows eligibility and charts inside that indicate which benefits people are entitled to.

"If it's out there and they're entitled to it, they certainly should apply," Bradford said.

Jefferson Town Clerk Lynne Bond said the state supplies towns with applications for the program.

"If somebody applies for the Circuit Breaker program, whether they're eligible or not, next year they'll automatically get sent the booklet," Bond said. "I think a lot of people are unaware that that program is out there from the state."

People also can apply online and get additional information at www.maine.gov/revenue/taxre lief/homepage.html.

The program is administered by the Maine Revenue Services Income and Estate Tax Division.

Nearly 200,000 Maine households qualify for a partial refund of property tax assessed and or rent they paid in 2007, according to Maine Revenue Services.

The maximum refund available is $2,000.

The program to apply for refunds of property tax assessed and or rent paid during 2008 begins Aug. 1, 2009.

Dennis Doiron, director of Maine Revenue Services' Income and Estate Tax Division, said that, as of Aug. 17, 46,000 applications have been filed -- 17,615 electronically, which is up 6,000 from last year.

"That does speed the whole process along," Doiron said Friday.

Doiron said legislation provided $44 million for the Circuit Breaker program last year, and he expects to receive the same this year.

If applications exceed that amount, Doiron said he is authorized to make additional payments to those who are eligible for the program.

"There certainly has been a lot (of applications) in the last three weeks," he said. "We've already issued, as of Aug. 17, almost 14,000 refunds at six-and- a-half million dollars, compared to 10,000 issued last year at this same time. And they can apply up to May 31 (2009)."

Christina Ward, who manages the program, said if everything is correct on the application, people can expect to receive a rebate in less than two weeks.

Doiron said it's too early to know if there will be more applicants this year with the poor economy and the high price of fuel. But the ones he has spoken to plan to use the rebate to pay bills.

"With the cost of things and gas prices, people are mentioning that they're going to use their refund to pay for heating oil and gasoline," he said.

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com