Saint John council reviews 2026 budget as Senate Enrolled Act 1 begins to bite

The Town of Saint John on Sept. 24 heard a detailed presentation on the 2026 municipal budget and early effects of Senate Enrolled Act 1, with financial advisers saying the town faces an estimated $1 million increase in circuit-breaker losses and recommending a council workshop to plan responses. Amber Nielsen of Baker Tilly told the council that 2026 is “the first year of the impacts that come from Senate Enrolled Act 1,” and that the town’s general fund would likely shoulder most of the loss.

Why it matters: The changes in state law will phase in over several years and shift some tax relief to residential homeowners while reducing property-tax revenue for local governments. Saint John lawmakers will have local decisions to make in 2027 about whether to replace county income-tax revenue at the town level.

Baker Tilly’s presentation summarized five years of revenue and spending history and laid out assumptions for 2026. The firm estimated an increase in circuit-breaker exemptions of just over $1.0 million statewide impacts allocated to…