CARIBOU, Maine — None of the councilors want to see a mil increase this year — but some are more willing to fight to hold the line than others.
The overall budget for 2015, as presented to the councilors over the past two weeks, totals $9,079,797 — an increase of $382,658 from last year.
A public hearing for citizens to weigh in on the proposed budget is slated for Monday, Nov. 10 in the city council chambers, but the councilors took a moment during Monday night’s meeting to outline their views.
Councilor David Martin wasn’t shy about expressing his opinion.
“My taxes have gone up every year by either revaluation, or the council — and right upfront, I will not support a budget that has a mil increase that is not voted on by the public,” Martin described.
“In other words, if the voters want to increase the school budget, that’s the only way I will support an increase in the mil. and that includes the county.”
Making sure he understood Martin correctly, City Manager Austin Bleess reiterated Martin’s opinion that Caribou should cut its budget if the County tax rate comes in higher this year.
Martin agreed, suggesting Bleess speak with the county about their budget.
“I do not want to increase the mil rate anymore,” he emphasized. “that’s where I’m at. I don’t care where you put it, you have your priorities in all this stuff, but if your new revenues don’t cover your expenses, I will not support the budget.”
Councilor Philip McDonough agreed that he did not want a mil increase.
“I don’t want to see any increases — you know that,” he said. “That’s what I’m all about.”
Mayor Gary Aiken and Councilor Joan Theriault didn’t want to see budgetary increases on the municipal side.
Councilor Shane McDougal said that he doesn’t want an increase either — but he also doesn’t see a way to avoid one. His goal is to keep an increase to a fourth of a mil.
“I saw last year the way the budget was cut, and cut, and cut. Low hanging fruit has always been taken off the block, but we’re starting to see things hurt — like our streets and roads,” he said. “We need to keep up on those, otherwise we’re going to be in a worse position that we are right now.”
Agreed with his fellow councilors, but most closely agreed with McDougal.
“I’d go out on a limb and say that nobody wants an increase. However, I’m like Shane, I really hate to see us falling behind,” he said, referring to the roads. “I think we have a responsibility to try to keep up and toe the line. I can also see not funding $7,200 (requested by the Aroostook Area on Aging) for $600,000 worth of services is going to end up costing us $1 million if we don’t help fund them — these are things we ought to consider as we move forward with the budget.”
City Manager Austin Bleess told the councilors that he appreciates their feedback and express that he thinks it will be possible to accommodate the council’s wishes, “because that’s what we’re here for,” he said.
“I do want to caution that there are going to be several factors outside our control that I don’t believe we can completely nail down before the council’s charter requirement to approve the budget in December,” Bleess explained. “I think there’s a few things we could do to meet the council’s goals; I’m right now not confident that that’s going to be overly possibly for the December approval, but by the final adoption or by the time we know what shakes out for the end of the fiscal year in January we’ll be better able to decide how we can do what the council wishes.
The next meeting of the Caribou City Council is slated for Monday, Oct. 27 in the city council chambers.
