HOULTON, Maine — Is a tax increase coming for residents of Houlton? That is something the Houlton Town Council is trying to avoid as it puts together the 2016 municipal budget.
On Dec. 16, Councilors agreed to move forward with a $10,598,166 budget for 2016. That figure is down slightly from last year’s total of $10,739,262.
A public hearing on the budget will be held Monday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers.
During Wednesday night’s meeting, the council made few changes to the suggested amounts in the budget. Funding for the Northern Maine Development Commission and Southern Aroostook Development Corporation were once again a topic of discussion as some on the council questioned why the town paid money to both organizations.
SADC was seeking $49,000 for 2015, but that amount was reduced by councilors to $43,000. Although other communities do contribute financially to SADC, Houlton provides the lion’s share of funding.
Overtime for both the Houlton Police and Fire departments was reviewed as well.
The council is also in the process of setting aside money for a town-wide revaluation, which could occur within the next five years. The cost of that revaluation could run as much as $300,000.
An attempt to reduce the Public Works Department’s roads account from $200,000 to $154,000 was debated by the council. That move was not endorsed by Chris Stewart, the town’s public works director.
“I don’t think $200,000 is enough money to care for the roads,” Stewart said. “We’re losing ground every year on our roads. I’d like to see that account go to $250,000, but can we afford to do that? I’d at least like to see that stay at $200,000.”
The council ultimately decided to fund the line item at $175,000 as a compromise.
According to Kent Good, chairman of the Board of Budget Review, there could be a substantial amount — possibly as much as $483,859 — left over from the 2015 budget which will go into the general fund to be accessible for next year.
Municipal spending has gone up considerably in recent years. In 2012, the town spent $6,877,774 to run the local government; while in 2013, municipal spending was $6,955,271; in 2014, the municipal budget was $7,088,535; and last year, it was $7,896,057.
