York County Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2025 tax commitment in July. This document shows each municipality’s state valuation, the amount of county tax each will pay, the percentage each municipality pays and the percentage of the total county budget each municipality pays. Contribute / York County Government

York County Commissioners approved the tax commitment of $21.5 million at their July 10 meeting and soon thereafter, the county’s 29 municipalities received their tax bills for fiscal year 2025 – which began July 1 – in their mailboxes.

The tax collected from the municipalities represents the lions’ share of the annual county budget which is $25.1 million for the fiscal year. Taxes help fund an array of county departments, from the registries of probate and deeds to the sheriff’s office – which includes the jail, patrol and civil process – the district attorney’s office, emergency management agency, finance office, administration, IT, facilities and more. The remaining portion comes from revenues the county collects for services like deeds recording fees, other fees, grants, and undesignated funds.

County taxes are due from the municipalities on Sept 1; interest of 8.5 percent for any unpaid taxes will begin after Oct. 31.

The budget is up 7.38 percent from a year ago. The amount to be raised by taxes to the county’s 29 municipalities is up 9.6 percent, or 1.8 million. Commissioners put the increase down to some revenues streams coming in a bit less than projected, and inflation, which has meant increased costs for goods and services. As well, county officials noted, the state has increased valuations of most municipalities.

The annual budget process begins with department heads submitting requests to administration, which crafts a budget. The budget document is scrutinized and voted on by county commissioners. From there, it is passed to the separate York County Budget Committee, made up of elected municipal officials and members of the public from across the county. Once the budget committee has approved a budget, it is passed back to the commissioners – who can choose to set the tax commitment or recommend the budget committee meet to consider changes.

The town of York will pay the most in county taxes – about $2.7 million this year, followed by Wells, at $2.1 million. The town of Cornish is poised to pay the least – $91,000, with Parsonsfield next, at $132,600. Biddeford, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Old Orchard Beach and Saco all pay more than $1 million each, with Sanford paying $967,000 and Ogunquit, $849,000. About 17 small towns pay varying amounts, from $538,000 in Waterboro to $196,000 in Alfred.

A sampling of three of the larger municipalities and three smaller ones shows the percentage of each municipality’s budget – and therefore each property tax bill – went to pay county taxes in the previous fiscal year as shown on tax bills from those municipalities: in Wells, the county tax portion of a property tax bill was 4.86 percent last year; Biddeford, 2.67 percent; Sanford, 2.44 percent; Alfred, 2.80 percent, Arundel, 2.85 percent, and Parsonsfield, 2.67 percent.

Tammy Wells is a media specialist with York County government.

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York County Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2025 tax commitment in July. This document shows each municipality’s state valuation, the amount of county tax each will pay, the percentage each municipality pays and the percentage of the total county budget each municipality pays.