MARS HILL, Maine — The Mars Hill Town Council has approved a 2021 fiscal year budget of $1.5 million, which will go into effect on Feb. 1.
Councilors approved the budget on Jan. 4 and ratified that vote during their most recent meeting on Jan. 20. The budget represents an increase from their 2020 budget of $1.4 million and includes a capital reserve budget of $136,500, a local revenue budget of $483,776 and a state revenue budget of $538,257.
Town Manager David Cyr attributed the increase in the overall budget to expenses related to the Central Aroostook Ambulance Service, which the towns of Mars Hill, Blaine and Bridgewater established last year. The budget lists the yearly costs for that service as representing $56,824 of the budget’s increase while the capital reserve funds raised the overall budget by $81,000.
The capital reserve funds have increased from $55,500 last year due to ongoing equipment needs for the fire department, which the council plans to address this year, Cyr said.
Overall, the town saw a $12,000 decrease in revenue due to loss of recreation revenues from the town of Blaine, which voted in July not to give money to Mars Hill because of a perceived lack of input from Blaine on recreation programming.
The current mill rate stands at 18.5 per $1,000 of property value, an increase from the 2019 rate of 17.5. Cyr said that the council will not set a 2021 rate until they receive the county and SAD 42 budgets.
