Chebeague Island is one step closer to independence.

On March 8, the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government voted unanimously that the bill granting Chebeague Island independence should be approved by the full Legislature. All 12 members present voted that the bill should pass and the one absent member, Sen. Margaret Rotundo (D-Androscoggin), later also voted in favor.

The full Legislature could begin consideration of the bill as early as March 21. The bill, L.D. 1735, must have a first and second reading in both the Maine Senate and the House of Representatives, and then be enacted by both branches, and signed by Gov. John Baldacci, before becoming law. Approval requires a simple majority vote at the enactment stage in each branch of the Legislature.

After the vote, about a dozen Chebeague Island residents applauded and hugged each other. “I had hoped for an unanimous vote, but really didn’t expect it would happen,” said Mabel Doughty, one of the five official secession representatives for Chebeague Island. All five representatives were present.

The vote quickly followed a March 3 public hearing on the Chebeague secession bill at the Cross Office Building in Augusta, attended by about 140 Chebeague residents. Several legislators and island residents spoke in favor of the bill and two island residents spoke against secession.

The Chebeague secession movement began in March 2005 in response to a proposal by officials of School Administrative District 51 (SAD 51) to remove the fourth-and fifth grades from the Chebeague school. After numerous meetings held in the spring and summer, Chebeague Island residents voted on Nov. 8 in favor of secession, 241 to 41.

A tentative agreement with Cumberland was reached Jan. 7 for a Town of Chebeague to include 16 of Cumberland’s islands, in exchange for Chebeague to pay half of the islands’ property taxes for 50 years and $1.3 million within six months of secession, to cover the island’s share of Cumberland’s debt.

After a month of negotiations, SAD 51’s School Board on Feb. 17 approved an agreement for Chebeague to leave the school district. The agreement called for Chebeague to pay the district $3.5 million and to pay for a share of the district’s bonded debt. In exchange, Chebeague would own the island school and SAD 51 would educate island students in grades 6 though 12 for the next seven years. The Cumberland Town Council unanimously passed both the town and school agreements on Feb. 27.

When Chebeague secession representatives came to the State and Local Government Committee, they had both agreements in hand.

Committee members praised the work islanders have done to make the case for independence. “I’ve been very impressed by your ability to organize and if there’s one thing you’re going to need in the future, it’s that,” said Rep. Richard D. Blanchard (D-Old Town). “So you’ve already shown us that you can do it.”

Earlier in the hearing, Blanchard had expressed concerns about the amount of debt a Town of Chebeague would be taking on. He asked what the impact would be if interest rates for municipal bonds continue to increase, as they have been recently, since Chebeague would start its existence with about $5 million in debt, to pay for agreements with the town and school district.

Accountant Glen Kersteen, who advised secession representatives on a municipal budget, said that an increase of three percent in interest rates over the next eight months, which “would be an enormous increase” would add $98,000 in debt service to the budget. Kersteen said he consulted with the brokerage firm Moors & Cabot, who advised him that over the next 18 months, short-term interest rates may be lower and that long-term interest rates may be higher.

Rep. Charles William Harlow (D-Portland) said he was mayor of Portland when Long Island left the city, in 1993. “I was against secession until I saw this group work together,” he said, noting that the agreement between Chebeague and the town is why he voted in favor.

The Senate co-chair of the committee, Sen. Elizabeth M. Schneider (D-Penobscot) said she wanted to be cautious in this case because of the potential that it might set a precedent for other island communities. She said Chebeague is a very unique situation. “This is not a tax-only issue,” Schneider said. “To me, this is an issue of whether or not the people of Chebeague are willing to step up, for generations, and to take ownership of their government, and to self-govern. And I think we saw all ages of people, of Chebeaguers, willing to take on that active role.”

Committee Co-chair, Rep. Christopher Barlow (D-Gorham) said he had been undecided before the hearing. He was persuaded by statements by David Stevens on March 3 that a Town of Chebeague would work to share services Long Island on issues such as police, school administration, water rescue and public safety.

He was also persuaded by the sense that Chebeague residents are seeking independence to preserve the state’s island heritage. “I think you are going to be a role model and you are going to be a strength to other island communities that are striving and fighting to survive, from Down East to Cape Neddick, in Kittery.”

In the interest of disclosure, it should be noted that Mabel Doughty, a Chebeague Island secession representative, is David Tyler’s grandmother-in-law.