CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou councilors voted 4 to 2 to approve next year’s expense budget on Dec. 10, the city’s final council meeting of 2018.
The 2019 expense budget is $10,002,814, or 2.97 percent higher than 2018’s $9,174,078 budget. However, as part of Presque Isle’s merger with what was formerly known as the Tri-Community Landfill (an entity consisting of Caribou, Limestone, and Fort Fairfield), Caribou will be receiving $615,000 in additional revenue in 2019.
According to City Manager Dennis Marker, this puts next year’s projected revenues at an estimated $10,357,350, a little over $350,000 above the approved expense budget.
Councilor Mark Goughan asked Marker how much the city has in unexpended allocations, or money that had not been spent over the course of the year, and the city manager said that, according to the city’s most recent audit, the community will have roughly $392,000 left over at the end of the year.
Councilor Phil McDonough, in what would be his last motion as a city councilor as the newly elected officials will begin their duties during the next meeting, suggested passing the budget, but allocating $250,000 of that $392,000 toward the expense budget and $50,000 toward a property tax benefit program for senior residents.
The tax benefit program was approved by voters in a non-binding advisory referendum in November. If implemented it would increase taxes for Caribou residents by one-half mill in order to assist senior citizens who are longtime residents and/or living on low incomes.
With councilor Tim Guerrette absent, four councilors voted Monday in favor of McDonough’s motion while two were opposed.
