CARIBOU, Maine — The recently announced Oct. 31 closure of Sitel, a call center in Caribou, will not only lead to the loss of roughly 100 jobs in the area, but also a significant amount of tax revenue.
Altogether, the property has been assessed by the city at $1,383,900, with $1,363,900 of that total being the value of the building and the remaining $20,000 being the value of the land.
Altogether, Sitel’s personal property is assessed at $195,900, however $134,200 of that total is eligible for business equipment tax exemptions. The state of Maine reimburses the city for a portion of the uncollected revenue on this amount. In 2019, business equipment tax exemptions are set at 53 percent.
According to the city’s finance department, the 63 Sweden St. property was conveyed to Sitel by the city of Caribou on March 31, 2015. Business personal property was not assessed for taxes in 2015 since operations were moved to the building from Limestone after the tax year cutoff date.
Without this assessment, total tax revenue from Sitel in 2015 was $31,062.18, as only the property was taxed. In the following years, taxes were between $36,000 and $37,000 each year.
According to Caribou’s 2019 revenue budget, the city’s total projected tax assessment for this year is $776,908, which includes residential property, business property and business personal property.
From 2015 to 2019, Sitel has provided the city of Caribou with a total of $178,269.65 in tax revenue.
Sitel will no longer pay business personal property taxes for the building, but may need to continue paying real estate taxes if they are unable to sell the property.
Sitel has also made numerous contributions to local businesses and organizations such as Cary Medical Center and the Bread of Life Kitchen. Additionally, Sitel has often sponsored city events, with the most recent instance being the stage at Caribou’s Thursdays on Sweden street festival.
Sitel’s closure was announced to employees of the call center on July 15. The business currently has no plans to relocate in Maine.
