HOULTON, Maine – The Houlton Town Council passed the town’s $13,712,315 amended budget for 2024 on Tuesday night.
Councilor James Peters dissented.
“We really need to start putting money into the roads,” Peters said. ”We should have allocated more revenue to the roads.”
The originally proposed $14,960,567 budget was $2.5 million over last year and included $1.5 million for the police department that came under Budget Review Board scrutiny during meetings in December.
“I do have quite a few questions, this was one of the departments that had a substantial increase over last year,” said review board member Susan Tortello during the December review.
Tortello asked if these increases included all vacant positions.
At the time, Police Chief Tim DeLuca, who is also serving as the interim town manager, explained that he budgeted for a full complement of 14 police officers, even though there were five vacancies. Since that time, DeLuca said that two officers were in the process of being hired. This is the second year the town has cut the proposed police budget despite DeLuca’s objections.
Last year, Town Manager Marian Anderson, who has since retired, said that the police department had been understaffed for many years and that’s why she decided to pull proposed funding for the vacant positions.
In the end, the town council decided to reduce the police department budget by $150,000 with the promise that if open positions are filled they will make the funds available.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilor Eileen McLaughlin was opposed to the $877,295 ambulance budget.
Concerned about reduced staffing and a smaller area served, McLaughlin said that this year’s ambulance budget did not reflect those changes.
Under the public works $1,262,114 budget, Tortello, a member of the Board of Budget Review, asked the town council to reconsider their decision to include $1,825 for gardens. The budget review board did not recommend including the new line item – Houlton Downtown Public Street trees and Gardens – in the public works budget.
“The Board of Budget review feel this line item is better suited to be funded through grants and we came up with several suggestions of what grants might be appropriate for that,” Tortello said. “They are asking for $700 for flower gardens, soil amendments and mulch and an additional $1,125 for five replacement trees.”
Tortello suggested a Maine Forest Service Canopy Grant for the trees and Vital Pathways grant for the flowers. Additionally she suggested this amount be moved to a special projects line item.
Houlton Director of Economic Development Nancy Ketch said during the meeting she would check on the potential for grant funding but this year’s deadlines may have already passed.
“It is a concerted effort and a group of people really dedicated to doing this work,” said Councilor Jane Torres who recused herself from voting on this matter because she is part of the planting crew. “I think that $1,800 from a $13.7 million dollar budget is not a lot to ask to support a group who wants to do this.”
Councilman Peters agreed with Tortello, saying the line item should be removed from the public works budget.
Councilors voted to remove the line item from the budget.
In addition to voting no to the entire 2024 budget, Peters was also opposed to $1,514 for Lifeflight, $28,000 for the Chamber of Commerce, $10,543 for the Northern Maine Development Commission and $1,800 for the snowmobile club.
“On the line items, I just don’t think that the public dollars, people’s tax dollars should go to private organizations such as the Chamber, the snowmobile club and Lifeflight,” Peters said. “Tax dollars should go to roads, police.”
This story was updated to add comments from Councilor James Peters.
