NEWS | Committee proposes $2.6 million county budget increase

A public hearing on the new budget is set for June 3 in Alfred

By TAMMY WELLS | York County Government media

The York County Budget Committee recently voted 8-1 to send a proposed $31.2 million spending plan to the public for approval.

Residents will have the final say on the proposed FY ’27 county budget at a public hearing set for 6 p.m. June 3 at the York County Government Building, 149 Jordan Springs Road in Alfred.

The proposed budget is up from $28.6 million in the current year, with increases in utility costs, insurances, wages and expenses associated with bringing the new Regional Training Center online and the upcoming debut of the York County Recovery Center in the latter part of 2026 or early 2027.

The fiscal impact to York County’s 29 municipalities is about $27.1 million, up by about $2.5 million from the current year, with the remainder of the proposed budget coming from an array of departmental revenues, investment earnings, rental income and reserves.

The overall proposed budget increase is pegged at 9.25 percent – about four percent less than the 13.64 percent increase approved for the current fiscal year that ends June 30.

As to utilities, here’s an eye opener: York County Government’s electricity costs are poised to increase by about $550,000 in the next fiscal year, following the expiration of a multi-year, all-inclusive contract in November 2025.

“The rate essentially tripled,” York County Manager Greg Zinser of utility costs at an April budget committee meeting.

Increases in wages include a cost-of-living adjustment pegged at four percent. Members of the sheriff’s office county patrol, represented by the Fraternal Order of Police, are poised to receive increase of around 10 percent in this, the second year of a three-year contract, making wages more competitive in a bid to aid in retention and attracting new deputies to fill vacancies.

Not all department budgets have increases – the York County District Attorney’s Office proposed budget has decreased by an estimated $108,000, to about $1.97 million, due largely to the retirement of several longtime employees.

There were also modest reductions in budgets for Registry of Probate, and in the retirement benefits, down 1.15 and 1.27 percent, respectively.

The overall proposed budget increase
is pegged at 9.25 percent, about four percent
less than the 13.64 percent increase
approved for the current fiscal year
that ends June 30.

The overall spending proposal is also $407,000 less than expected. York County Commissioners were finalizing the budget to pass on to the budget committee in early April at the same time the Maine Legislature was making spending decisions at the end of session. Those decisions included the state’s contribution to Maine’s 15 county jails under a consolidation agreement forged nearly 20 years ago.

Typically, York County has received $2.4 million in state funds annually to help operate York County Jail, but as the legislative session drew to a close, was poised to receive $407,000 less this time around. Commissioners added $407,000 to the budget to avert a shortfall and then days later, the Legislature found enough money to restore the funds.

The county’s contribution to operate York County Jail for the upcoming fiscal year is $12.5 million. Near the end of the meeting, as Commission Chair Richard Dutremble thanked the budget board for their work, and he asked committee members to speak to their legislators about updating the state’s contribution to jail funding.

The budget contains one new position – in the facilities department, with the new employee being brought on halfway into the fiscal year.

As to how much property owners will pay, county assessments to the municipalities – which are passed on to residents in their property tax bills – are dependent on the amount the state values each town or city.

“State valuation drives the bus, it depends on where your municipal valuation is,” Zinser said.

Last year — Biddeford, valued at more than $4.5 billion — saw 61.55 percent of property taxes to fund school operations, 36.14 percent for the municipality, and 2.21 percent for county operations.

Budget Committee Chair Marc Lessard of Biddeford thanked county commissioners, the county manager and his fellow budget board members for their work.

“I know the opportunities for (budget) changes today are a lot less than what they used to be,” said Lessard. “That was driven a lot by what the work on this committee is, your input on different line items, making notations for future years and some policy ideas shared… (these) are extremely important to be able to give direction and insight to our folks that are managing this on a daily basis.”

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