Like everything else this year, the Scarborough municipal/school budget process has been trying, tiring, and sometimes a bit confusing. On June 24, the Town Council passed the municipal budget (gross budget increase of .7 percent and net budget decrease of -1.1 percent) and sent the school budget (gross budget increase of 2.8 percent and net budget increase of 1.2 percent) to the voters. This budget also includes $534,000 set aside for COVID-19 funding. If the school budget passes on July 14, the new mill rate is projected to be $14.88 (from the current $14.70) for an increase in the property tax rate of 1.22 percent. All things considered, this budget strikes a balance between the needs of our community and those of our taxpayers. To put that in tax dollars, and including the increased homestead exemption for those that are eligible, a home valued at $300K will see an annual tax bill decrease of $20, a home valued at $400K will see an annual decrease of $2, and a home valued at $500K will see an annual increase of $16.
Developing this budget was no easy task. The Council found itself attempting to balance a predicted sharp decline in non-property tax revenue and a bleak economic forecast with increasing needs of our students due to the global pandemic and preserving jobs at the town and school level. Did we do a perfect job? Absolutely not. There are inequities in pay cuts of staff, COVID-19 funding, and capital improvement investment between the proposed library expansion and proposed consolidated intermediate school. But, 2020 is not a year of perfect. It is a year of survival and minimizing harm. This budget is able to preserve the vast majority of school and municipal positions. This budget includes an increase in the Senior Property Tax Program from $600 to $750 to help our most vulnerable residents. This budget begins to fund predicted costs of COVID while we wait for aid from the federal and state governments. Lastly, this budget doesn’t stop the work that has begun towards a new consolidated intermediate school.
This year has also seen the most emails both in support of, and against, the budget. Many residents have taken a hardline on either side of the budget vote. We cannot go to the polls this year with the intentions of “sending a message” — there is no message to send. There will be no ideological winners this year. I’m asking all of Scarborough to show up on July 14 (or, even better to vote by absentee ballot) and survive, and do minimal harm in this crazy year of 2020. Simply put, though not perfect, this budget maintains priorities for both the Town and School, provides some certainty in an uncertain world and positions us to deal with the challenges ahead. So, hold your nose, delete your Facebook account, and vote YES on July 14.
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