Northern Light Health and Brewer are in disagreement over the tax status of another property. This time, it involves the Northern Light Pharmacy on Whiting Hill Road.
Initially, Brewer’s assessor did not grant tax exemption to the pharmacy. Northern Light Health challenged this decision, and the Brewer Board of Assessment Review ruled in favor of tax exemption for the pharmacy.
However, the city of Brewer appealed to Penobscot Superior Court, grouping this case with other properties owned by Northern Light Health. Some of these properties are considered tax exempt, while others are not. Brewer wants several businesses to pay taxes, while Northern Light Health insists on tax exemption.
Northern Light Health is seeking a court order for Brewer to refund any property taxes paid for the Whiting Hill pharmacy and maintain its tax exemption, as per court records.
According to previous legal filings from Northern Light Health, parts of the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute lost tax exemption eligibility due to contracted workers providing services to cancer patients.
The Whiting Hill pharmacy, operated by M Drug LLC, is organized as a for-profit entity. It has other retail pharmacies and offers mail-order services. The fact that it provides services to cancer patients does not set it apart from other non-tax-exempt pharmacies.
According to Northern Light Health, M Drug does not own the property and is not responsible for any taxes. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center is the sole member of M Drug.
Brewer’s attorney, Charlie Gilbert, argues that the pharmacy does not meet the charitable purposes required for tax exemption. He explains that organizations can engage in charitable work but still not qualify for tax exemption, which aligns with the assessor’s decision.
Northern Light Health contends that the assessor’s decision goes against public policy and established legal precedent in Maine. They argue that it will increase healthcare costs and raise concerns within the charitable and nonprofit community in Maine.
The discovery deadline for the lawsuits is June 15, with no additional court dates scheduled at this time.
Tags: Property Tax, Northern Light Health, Brewer, Legal Dispute, Tax Exemption, Pharmacy, Court Battle, Maine, Tax Status, Taxation, Nonprofit, Charitable, Healthcare Cost, Legal Action, Discovery Deadline
