HOULTON, Maine – If early budget projections are any indication, Houlton taxpayers may see a major hike in their bills next year.
The Houlton Town Council got its first look at the proposed budget Monday evening, which revealed more than a $1 million increase in municipal spending.
As presented, the town’s budget for 2023 is $10,124,097, which is an increase of $1,190,141 (11.8 percent) from the current fiscal year. If the document stands in its current form, the town would be looking at a 2 mill increase in order to balance the budget.
“Our costs are going to increase,” Houlton Town Manager Marian Anderson said. “We will have some difficult decisions to make. Many of our costs are fixed costs.”
Major increases in diesel fuel and heating oil prices were among the driving factors for the increases. For example, in January 2021 the town paid $1.775 for heating fuel for the Gentle Memorial Building. In October, the town was paying $3.10, Anderson said. That figure will likely be even higher in 2023.
Considering many of the town’s municipal vehicles, such as ambulances and public works vehicles, use diesel fuel, Anderson said the increases in those accounts was unavoidable.
“It is going to be a challenging time,” she said. “I look forward to your candor and your suggestions or ideas (on ways to trim the budget).”
The town is in need of residents to serve on its Board of Budget Review, the group tasked with going over the budget line by line, meeting with department heads. In the November election, there were no candidates for five open seats on the board.
Carl Lord was elected to that board as an officially declared write-in candidate, but several seats on the board remain unfilled.
Anderson said any resident who is interested in serving on this board can contact the town office for additional information at 207-532-7111.
The first budget workshop with the Board of Budget Review is scheduled for Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. Additional workshops will be held Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 before the revised budget is presented to the council on Dec. 19. A public hearing on the spending plan is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2023.
