County GovernmentTop story
Penobscot County's budget committee backs a proposal that would raise property taxes nearly 24%.
The proposed budget is $41.6 million, about $6 million more than last year's
- $41.6 million
- proposed 2027 county budget
- $6 million
- more than the current budget
- 11
- committee members at the meeting
Sources: WABI, Maine Public
The Penobscot County Budget Committee approved a proposed 2027 budget Wednesday night that would raise property taxes by nearly 24%. WABI puts the estimate at 23% after the committee reviewed the plan line by line for more than four hours without making cuts. A committee member told WABI, “there’s just no fat to cut.”
County Administrator Blair Tinkham said the increase comes from under-taxing towns for several years, which depleted reserves. Committee members named running the county jail in its current form as a major cost. The vote was split. If county commissioners give final approval, Tinkham said, the average county property tax bill would rise by about $100 next year, on top of any town or school increases.
- Property tax share: almost $36 million, up from $29 million
- Last year's county increase: more than 15%
- Jail: has drained roughly $11 million from reserves since 2022
- Next step: final approval by county commissioners
Commissioners had recommended a 27.6% budget jump after a divisive meeting on Oct. 23.
Property taxes raised would climb from $29 million to about $36 million
Sources: Maine Public, Bangor Daily News
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| This year | $29 million |
| Proposed 2027 | $36 million |
