The Lewiston City Council held a budget workshop on Thursday, March 12, 2026, to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. Director Roy presented the budget, covering personal services, fringe benefits, capital projects, and general government departments. Councilors discussed the need for further cuts, the status of frozen positions, and the proposed new public health officer position. No public testimony was heard. The meeting concluded with a directive to administration to develop a menu of additional cost-saving options.
Hello, and welcome. Hello, and welcome to our Tuesday Thursday evening uh budget workshop. We're joined here by Director Royal Administrator Kane Rath. Also in attendance is uh Deputy Administrator O'Malley. Thank you all very much. Uh Director Roy, please kick us off. Hard copies can also be found at the city clerk's office and the library, the Lewiston Library. Questions or budget suggestions should be emailed to Brian Kanerath at BK, AEN RATH at Lewiston Main.gov or public comment at Lewiston Main.gov. Reminder, Monday, March 16th is the school budget, which will be held at 5 30 for you at the Green Ladle. So we're going to start off with personal services and fringe benefits, which are on page 16 and 28 of your book. The overall increase is a million six or 4.4. You will see the table of the organization on page 16. There is only one new position as city administrator mentioned on Tuesday, which is the health position. There are 12 frozen full-time positions in this fiscal year 27 budget. We re-froze the six from fiscal year 26, two police officers, three Class C highway workers, and one mechanic. The additional for fiscal year 27 is one more police officer, two more Class C highway workers, one Class B highway worker, and one more mechanic, along with the city senior accountant. Regular time and wages are on page 17 and 18, the overall increase of a million or 4.5%. This includes all settled contracts and adjustments and state step increases. The salary lines, you'll see credits within those salary lines. So for the salary reserve, you'll notice on page I believe 18. You'll see a credit in the current column. So you'll see 230,400. That is two quarters, so there'll be two more quarters coming in, so that will be a credit of 460,800. The city currently has 20 active employees that have re-entered the in-service retirement drop program, which reduces most of the salaries between 5% and 15%, dependent on their labor union and their employing contract. And remember there is one code officer that is budgeted in the CDBG line, which is 64,409. You won't find that in the code budget. That will be discussed on Tuesday at the CDBG budget. Overtime on page 18, the overall increase is 110,000. Although contracts settle in step increases, some have more impact. Additional replaced hours and demand has produced increases of 82,700 in fire, 15,906 in police, and public works operation 22,754. There's a decrease of 10,372 in general government. This is all in elections. Due to they had two elections in fiscal year 26, we'll only have the one in fiscal year 27. Temporary wages is on page 19. The overall increase of 91,784 or 21%. The state of Maine minimum wage will increase January 1st, 2026 to $15.10 from the 1465. Well, salaries are contractual, obligated temporary wages are not. Just a reminder that departments that have temporary employees, if they no longer have those positions, the city would need permanent employees, which would also have an additional cost of benefits. Due to one less election. An increase in temporary highway wages of 32,640 for the assistance with vacation. This gives the public works the ability to mentor temporary employees to potentially become full-time employees when vacancies arise. This is for summer help. An increase in central garage of $38,176 for hiring students enrolled in the automobile program. This also gives the opportunity for the garage, the ability to mentor temporary workers to fill positions when they become available. If you remember last year, we carry forward leftover funds from fiscal year 25 to 26 so that they could have that ability to get some temporary help in that department. Increase in armory by 12,000, which is the transfer from the general fund to the rec account. If you remember for the pool activities, the general fund puts in $62,000 to cover the wages and help out for the pool that's open in the summer. An increase in library temporary wages of $12,172. Other fees on page 19, overall 10,000 or 4%. This is the mayor, council, and the board's stipends along with the attorney fees.