BRUNSWICK

The Brunswick Town Council adopted a $61 million municipal budget last week. Finance Director Julie Henze said it’s been a fair compromise creating this year’s budget, which was still being finalized and printed Tuesday.

Still in play, voters on June 14 will decide on whether to accept the proposed school budget for an overall increase of more than $1.8 million and with it, a 3.49 percent tax increase.

The council had previously adopted a $37.69 million school department budget following cuts of $410,000 and a failed attempt to trim another $85,000 within days of a scheduled vote.

According to Henze, the town has seen an increase in revenue to the tune of $619,849. This is in part to new and updated fees from the town like mooring fees.

Decreases on the municipal portion over last year include nearly $91,000 to the police department, $10,000 in health and social services, $17,900 to Central Fire Station and $16,266 to town clerk and elections.

Henze explained that it’s not all as black and white as the numbers appear. She said about $19,000 was added last year at Central Fire Station for new garage doors and $60,000 this year to stabilize the front of the old fire station.

Henze said the $60,000 repair to the front of the fire station didn’t make the cut this budget year as it was seen as an inadequate solution.

“It’s going to go into the capital improvement program as a discussion topic,” Henze said.

Also, apparent decreases to the police budget are due to marine resources breaking from the police line and gaining their own budget item. Henze explained that because the duties of the marine resources officer have grown, $91,000 was taken from the police budget and reappeared as $189,911 in marine resources.

“What the Marine Resources Committee was doing has expanded and it was always within the police department budget as one line and now his salary, his vehicle costs, his equipment costs are all on there,” Henze said.

Another problem towns are facing are increases to the Homestead exemption. Henze said the amount of the increase — about $3,500 on top of the initial $15,000 in the exemption — works out fine for the homeowner, however, the town is only being reimbursed half of that amount.

“So, I think the total was about $250,000 or so of taxes that the town isn’t getting, however, people with homestead are actually doing better,” Henze said.

Anyone with a personal residence whose lived in their home for one year or more is considered eligible for the Homestead tax exemption.

In all, net property taxes collected break down as $14,870,595 for municipal, $23,973,770 for schools and $1,410,855 toward the county.

Voting will take place at Brunswick Junior High School on Tuesday, June 14. Also on the ballot, voters will be asked if they want to continue to vote for the school budget via referendum for the next three years.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com