The harsh reality of a combined township and school budget of nearly $6 million, a 17% increase, hit Edgecomb taxpayers on Aug. 2. Taxpayers opened their tax bills and saw a tax rate increase from $16.70 per $1,000 in 2023 to $21.98 in 2024. Stuart Smith is a resident, local business owner and former town councilman. The tax rate increase caused his tax bill to rise from $9,000 to over $13,000. Smith was one of about a dozen taxpayers who complained about the tax increase during the board’s Aug. 6 meeting.

“I found the bill shocking. I think the Budget Committee and the School Committee screwed up here,” Smith said. “Something needs to be done about it this year. A lot of people are going to struggle with this. And I know people who are crying about it.”

Selectman Michael Maxim expected citizens to voice their concerns at the first meeting after the 2024 tax bills are sent out. He explained that taxpayers across Maine were receiving higher tax bills than usual. He also explained that continued high inflation rates, along with a cut in state education funding and an end to ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, would hit taxpayers hard.

“The tax laws reflected what the voters decided at town meeting. That’s how we got into this situation,” Maxim said. “We’re struggling in difficult times. None of us (the councilors) found this an easy task.” Both Maxim and Councilwoman Lynn Norgang told citizens they were surprised voters approved the school budget. Norgang added that during budget meetings, the council pleaded with school officials to cut their proposal. “We pushed them to find more ways to cut the budget,” she said. “We asked them to find ways to cut the budget, and when they didn’t make significant cuts, I didn’t think it was going to pass.”

Seasonal residents appear to be the most affected by the tax laws. William Anthony lives in Chicago, Illinois, and spends about five months a year in Edgecomb. Anthony told aldermen he pays about $12,000 in taxes and considers himself “part of the community.” He had previously approached aldermen several years ago and volunteered to work with other residents, both seasonal and year-round, to come up with ways to reduce expenses. “I’ve contacted previous aldermen and told them I want to help, but no one has responded,” he said.

Smith advised city officials to consider cost-cutting measures such as closing Edgecomb Eddy School. Smith told councilors Boothbay Region Elementary School has enough space to accommodate Edgecomb’s roughly 80 elementary students. “I’ve talked to people in Boothbay, and there’s room for our students without us having to hire more teachers or increase our tuition,” he said.

Jack Brennan and Janet Blevins both served on the budget committee. Both expressed gratitude that citizens wanted a more active role in municipal budget issues, but had a question of their own for concerned taxpayers. “It’s great to see you all here. There has never been so much public discussion about the budget. But the question I ask now is, ‘Why are you here now?'” he said. “We had budget meetings in the winter and this was the right time to voice our opinion,” Brennan said. He reminded them that the 2024 budget was approved by 64 citizens who attended the annual town meeting in May.

The concerned taxpayers agreed to participate in future discussions about the municipal and school budget. Maxim praised the concerned citizens for addressing their complaints constructively. “We appreciate all of you coming out and voicing your concerns respectfully. I think we’ve made some progress in terms of establishing more citizen committees to look at cost-saving opportunities,” Maxim said.

Norgang told residents that changes are needed in the budget process. If the school budget continues to increase, there could be discussions about closing the school, she said.

The Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, August 20th at 6:00 p.m. in the conference room.