
HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton town council on Thursday night cut $1.8 million from the proposed 2025 town budget.
In November Town Manager Jeremy Smith presented a $16,568,181 draft budget that would have raised the town mill rate nearly 5.5 mills. Several councilors expressed concern about such a dramatic increase.
The new $14,749,220 proposed 2025 town budget, including $4.045 million in RSU 29 and County mandates, raises taxes from 19.4 mills to 20.4 mills.
Since the November meeting, Smith and the Board of Budget Review made several adjustments to lower town expenditures. But on Thursday, councilors continued cutting, with the most significant reductions in roads and capital reserves.
Regarding roads, council chairwoman Jane Torres said that lots of money needs to go back into the roads but instead of expensing it out before they are going to use it, they could take it out of the budget and tap into the undesignated fund balance when the need arises for road repair.
Other counselors agreed and they took the roads budget back to the 2024 figure of $200,000 from a proposed $550,000 for 2025.
“If we can just go up 1 mill in this tax year that would be the way to do it,”
Torres said.
Councilor James Peters agreed.
“Rather than taking the taxpayers’ money up front, let’s reduce everything and figure out what we need then draw down the capital fund,” Peters said.
Additionally, Councilor Eileen McLaughlin also suggested that some of the town’s surplus Tax Increment Financing Fund money could also be used for roads.
A few items were added back into the budget including the Houlton Humane Society $40,069 contract with the police department after the Board of Budget Review suggested cutting it to $20,000 until a new contract could be negotiated.
The code enforcement request of $12,000 for new software was also added back into the budget, following a Board of Budget Review cut.
Several councilors said that because the town is trying to enhance code enforcement initiatives, the software is necessary.
“I think the town’s taxpayers will be happy,” Torres said.
There will be a public hearing on the budget at 6 p.m. Jan. 6, 2025.
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