Maine
Maine's Interlocal Cooperation chapter (30-A §§2201-2208) authorizes broad joint or cooperative exercise of powers between Maine political subdivisions, adjoining-state political subdivisions, federal agencies, and federally recognized Indian tribes. The Legislature has explicitly directed that the chapter be 'liberally construed' to avoid inflexible enabling laws — a notable instruction making Maine one of the more cooperative-friendly states.
Interlocal Cooperation Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, §§2201-2208
"Any power or powers, privileges or authority exercised or capable of exercise by a party to an agreement under this chapter may be exercised and enjoyed jointly or cooperatively with any other party to the extent that federal laws, when applicable, permit the joint or cooperative exercise. It being the intent of the Legislature to avoid the proliferation of special purpose districts and inflexible enabling laws, this chapter must be liberally construed toward that end."
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, §§2201-2208, Interlocal Cooperation
Plain-language summary
Maine's cooperative purchasing authority is broad and well-structured under Title 30-A, Chapter 115 (Interlocal Cooperation). Section 2203 is the joint exercise of powers provision: any power, privilege, or authority exercised or capable of exercise by a party to an interlocal agreement may be exercised jointly or cooperatively with any other party. The 'party' definition is broad and includes any political subdivision of Maine OR any adjoining state, agencies of state government, federal agencies, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation. The chapter contains an unusual and important directive in §2203(7): 'It being the intent of the Legislature to avoid the proliferation of special purpose districts and inflexible enabling laws, this chapter must be liberally construed toward that end.' This explicit liberal construction directive distinguishes Maine from states with restrictive scoping in their cooperative purchasing statutes. Section 2205 requires Maine Attorney General approval before any interlocal agreement involving Maine state agencies becomes effective — a one-time procedural step (similar to Iowa). Section 2204 requires agreements to be filed with the appropriate municipal clerk, county registry, or other records officer. Section 5656(4) confirms that the chapter applies to 'cooperative purchasing programs administered by regional councils' — explicit recognition that cooperative purchasing operates under this framework. Maine state-level procurement is governed separately by Title 5, Chapter 155, which is largely scoped to state agency purchases.
Key requirements
- →Title 30-A Chapter 115 (Interlocal Cooperation) authorizes broad joint or cooperative exercise of powers between parties to interlocal agreements.
- →Party definition under §2202: any political subdivision of Maine, any political subdivision of an adjoining state, any agency of state government, any federal agency, and federally recognized Indian tribes (Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation).
- →Section 2203(7) directs that the chapter 'must be liberally construed' — Legislature's explicit instruction to favor cooperative action.
- →Section 2203: any power capable of exercise by a party may be exercised jointly or cooperatively with any other party.
- →Section 2205: Maine Attorney General approval is required before any interlocal agreement involving Maine state agencies becomes effective — a one-time procedural step.
- →Section 2204: agreements must be filed with the appropriate municipal clerk, county registry, or other records officer.
- →Section 5656(4) confirms cooperative purchasing programs administered by regional councils operate under the interlocal cooperation framework.
- →Maine state agency procurement is separately governed by Title 5, Chapter 155.
- →Public construction projects must comply with applicable Maine public works bidding, prevailing wage, and bonding requirements.
Construction services
Maine's interlocal cooperation framework is broadly construction-friendly. Title 30-A Chapter 115 explicitly authorizes joint or cooperative exercise of any power capable of exercise by a party — and the Legislature has directed that this chapter be 'liberally construed' to avoid inflexible enabling laws. The party definition is particularly notable for national cooperative use: it extends to political subdivisions of adjoining states and to federal agencies, making the framework workable for OMNIA Partners and Region 14 ESC Texas participation through interlocal agreement structures. The §2205 Maine Attorney General approval requirement is a one-time procedural step (similar to Iowa's §28E.9 process), not a per-transaction hurdle. Maine public agencies considering cooperative construction procurement have a clear pathway through Chapter 115, but should verify with counsel that the specific cooperative arrangement satisfies the Chapter 115 framework AND complies with any applicable Maine public works competitive bidding, prevailing wage, and bonding requirements for the construction work at issue.
How Maine agencies access our contracts.
LNC holds multiple cooperative purchasing contracts through OMNIA Partners and Region 14 ESC Texas, all of which are available to public agencies in Maine under Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, §§2201-2208.
Your agency can use our contracts to procure construction services through certified Affiliate Vendors. Every Affiliate proposal is audited and certified by LNC before reaching you.
Talk to LNC About Your Project →This summary is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Maine's procurement code may have been amended since this content was prepared. Confirm the current text of Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30-A, §§2201-2208 and consult your jurisdiction's legal counsel before relying on this authority for a specific procurement.