Bangor City Council Meeting: Budget and Appropriations, June 23, 2026
Bangor City Council Meeting: Budget and Appropriations, June 23, 2026
The Bangor City Council met on June 23, 2026, to approve the fiscal year 2027 municipal budget, several appropriations, and other items. The meeting included public comments on tax increases and budget transparency, extensive discussion among councillors on the budget's impacts, and votes on multiple resolves and orders. The final budget was approved with a 7-1 vote, while other items passed with varying margins.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Scott Party, a Bangor citizen, criticized the council for not addressing a tax revolt. He cited an 11% spike in single-family home assessments, 15% for apartments, and 19% for mobile homes, and urged the council to aggressively cut the mill rate to offset soaring valuations.
- Hillary Simmons, a Bangor resident, questioned why Bangor was expanding its budget while cities like Augusta and Lewiston made cuts. She asked for transparency regarding the use of $10 million from the unassigned fund balance, and whether all cost-saving measures had been explored. She noted that Augusta cut $6.6 million from its budget and asked Bangor to demonstrate similar discipline.
Discussion Items
- Fiscal Year 2027 Municipal Budget (Resolve 26-204): Councillor Carson introduced an amended budget that incorporated council and manager changes. The average residential property owner would see an increase of about $540-$546 per year (based on a $280,000-$285,000 home), down from an originally proposed $815 increase. Councillor Beck explained that even maintaining current services required cuts due to increased county taxes and inflation. He argued that the budget's new positions (firefighter paramedics, fleet mechanics, clerks, cybersecurity analyst, code enforcement, housing navigators, etc.) were investments that would generate revenue or reduce costs. Councillor Carson voted no, stating the tax burden was too high and that not all expenses were cut. The budget passed 7-1.
- Capital and Program Appropriations (Resolve 26-205): This resolve appropriated $11,488,099 from various sources, including $10,838,099 from the unassigned fund balance. Councillor Beck spoke in support, noting that many capital items pay for themselves. The vote was 5-3.
- Downtown TIF Appropriations (Resolve 26-206): The council amended and approved $5,195,185 in downtown TIF expenditures for FY2027, with a final vote of 6-2.
- Bangor Center Development District Special Assessment (Resolve 26-207 and Orders 26-210, 26-211): $285,600 in special assessment funds were appropriated for the district's program, with additional TIF and sponsor funds totaling $760,084. The program includes marketing, beautification, events, safety, and administration. All three items passed 6-2.
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds (Resolves 26-208 and Order 26-226): $837,221 in CDBG funds plus $250,000 in program income were appropriated for housing, public improvements, and social services. Councillor Beck recused himself due to a conflict of interest (his wife serves on the board of Design Wall Housing, a recipient). Resolve 26-208 passed 5-2; Order 26-226 passed 6-1.
- Special Amusement License: A public hearing was held and approved for Nocturnum Draft House at 56 Main Street.
- Sewer Rate Increase (Order 26-227): A 9% increase in sewer rates was introduced as a first reading; the increase will add about $3.84 per month for average residential users. The public comment period will occur at a future meeting.
- Closing Remarks: Councillors thanked staff and volunteers for the election, encouraged attendance at Pride Day events, and urged respect.
Key Outcomes
- Resolve 26-203: Passed 7-1.
- Resolve 26-204 (FY2027 Budget): Passed 7-1.
- Resolve 26-205 (Capital and Program Appropriations): Passed 5-3.
- Resolve 26-206 (Downtown TIF): Passed 6-2.
- Resolve 26-207 (Special Assessment): Passed 6-2.
- Order 26-210 (Development Program): Passed 6-2.
- Order 26-211 (Contract with Downtown Partnership): Passed 6-2.
- Resolve 26-208 (CDBG): Passed 5-2.
- Order 26-226 (CDBG Annual Action Plan): Passed 6-1.
- Special Amusement License: Approved.
- Order 26-227 (Sewer Rates): First reading; public hearing set for future meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Zero three. Second. Resolve 26-203 has been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Seeing none. Roll call. Councillor Beck? Yes. Councilor Carson? Yes. Councillor Dean. Yes. Council Falloon? Yes. Counselor Leonard. Yes. Council Mallar. No. Council Walker? Yes. Council Haas? Yes. Seven yes. One no. Resolve 26-203. Seven yes. One no. Does have passage. Next item. 26-204 resolve appropriation for municipal year 2027. Councilor Carson. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The amended resolve will appropriate funding for the fiscal year 2027 municipal budget. This amendment includes all changes recommended by the city council and city manager since the submission of the city manager's recommended budget. The budget needs to be amended by substitution to reflect council requested changes made since April. Madam Chair, I move passage of council resolve two six-204. Second. Resolve 26-024 has been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Council Flo. Hold on. I have a couple more motions. Mr. Party. Good evening. My name is uh Scott Party, and I'm a citizen of Bangor. I want to talk about the silence coming from this council or council. Earlier today, I sent you a formal letter breaking down the tax assessors' numbers, an 11% spike in single family homes, 15% for apartments, and 19% for mobile homes. But what those numbers hide is the human cost. You're looking at spreadsheets.
openpublica.com