CARIBOU, Maine — City councilors on Dec. 11 passed a 2018 operating budget of about $9.9 million, which is about 3 percent higher than this past year.
Mayor Gary Aiken indicated that he has worked with the city manager on the $9,937,365 budget and believes there is a good chance that revenues may balance out to the point where residents do not see an increase in property taxes.
“We’re probably within $40,000 of balancing, and I think we will do more than that,” Aiken said. “I think there is some additional revenue that will come, and there shouldn’t be an increase from the city standpoint.”
In explaining the potential for additional revenue, City Manager Dennis Marker said Wednesday that the city anticipates an increase in state revenue sharing in the coming year.
Notable changes to the upcoming budget include a six percent increase in power costs, three percent increase in water and sewer rates, a two percent cost of living adjustment for non-union city employees, and the additions of a full-time zoning administrator, part time administration assistant in the city office, and part time librarian.
Before approving the budget, Mark Goughan, who was elected to the City Council in November and will begin next year, had concerns about ambulance billing salaries being moved from the Fire and Ambulance part of the budget to the General Government part of the budget under finance.
“I’m always a little concerned, so we can have a fair and civil debate on expenditures, that we are talking about actual expenditures,” Goughan said, “and by taking some expenditures from one department and placing them in another, they might get lost.”
The future councilor’s concern is that “20 years from now” with a new council and possibly a new city manager, there could be confusion regarding how much Caribou spent on Fire and Ambulance services.
“I hope there is a line item under General Government attached to this transfer that reflects not only the building staff, but also the transfer of bad debt collections, if I understand correctly,” he said.
Before officially approving the budget, Councilor Phil McDonough asked if there was any way to incorporate Goughan’s suggestion into the budget.
Caribou City Manager Dennis Marker said it would only “be a matter of adding a new line to the General Government budget.”
Councilors then unanimously moved to accept the proposed budget with the recommended changes based on Goughan’s input.
