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Lewiston officials review Social Services budget as state law change reduces relocations
Summary
City staff and councilors discussed Social Services budget lines, a staffing change funded partially by CDBG, and the fiscal impact of a State of Maine law that lengthened relocation responsibility from 30 days to six months, which city staff said reduced recent general assistance costs.
Lewiston City Council members and Social Services staff discussed changes to the department’s proposed budget on March 1 at a budget workshop, focusing on staffing, federal/state funding and a recent State of Maine law that altered municipal responsibility for relocated residents.
Director Brackett, Social Services director, told the council the department is requesting a new full-time G17 caseworker position (the fifth caseworker) that adds $47,000 to the wages line; the request accompanies a plan to convert two part-time positions into one full-time post and a shift of some temporary wages to other lines. "Temporary workers do not receive health, or retirement unless they're at a certain hour," Brackett said, explaining differences in fringe costs for temporary versus full-time employees.
The department reported that Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding covered two temporary positions in the prior year and that CDBG may cover one of the positions again this year. "If the funding does come through, then this balance would be adjusted," Brackett said.
Councilors pressed staff on the numbers. Councillor Chittum said she expected the swap of two part-time roles for one full-time role to cost roughly the same and asked why the budget showed a differential of about $68,000. Brackett pointed to step increases and position reclassifications as contributors and said she would pull last year’s salary line for the council’s review.
Councilors and Brackett also discussed the municipal share of general assistance (GA). Brackett said the current cost of general assistance as of February was $1,674,677, of which $502,403 was the City’s responsibility. She noted that total GA expenditures had been higher in prior years (the workshop referenced a prior year total near $1,947,000) and that the city was seeing a decrease of about $273,000 relative to the prior reported total.
A key factor, Brackett said, was a change in State of Maine policy passed in August 2024 that extended the period a municipality remains financially responsible when a resident relocates from 30 days to six months. "This bill has been our godsend," she said, adding that relocation cases had risen sharply in recent years and had been a sizable portion of the city’s GA costs.
Councillors asked about longer-term funding risks tied to state and federal allocations. Councillor Gallant asked whether the city’s reimbursement expectations were accurate and how the state reimbursement appears in the budget. Brackett said the city submits monthly expenditures and is reimbursed 70% of allowable GA costs; the 70% reimbursement is recorded on the revenue pages of the budget. "We take our full expenditures every month. They submit and then we receive 70% back," she said.
Several councilors raised a concern about uncertainty at the state and federal level. Councillor Nejean asked staff to monitor the possibility that federal funding to the state could be reduced and urged preparation for contingency planning. Brackett and other staff cautioned against speculative budget changes absent concrete guidance but agreed to remain watchful.
The workshop also reviewed service demand: the department reported serving 928 clients in fiscal year 2024 (full year), 553 in fiscal year 2023, 288 in fiscal year 2022, and 707 clients from July to February of the current fiscal year. Brackett explained that food-supply costs declined because of referrals and partnerships with local organizations that supply food to asylum-seeker and other clients, and that changes in state policy around temporary housing allocations reduced some short-term housing expenditures.
The council did not take a formal vote on the department request at the workshop; staff said reimbursements and revenue recognition for GA will appear on the revenue pages and be discussed in subsequent budget sessions.
Ending: The Social Services discussion closed with councilors thanking Director Brackett for outreach and partnership work; staff noted outstanding questions about salary-line detail and possible adjustments if CDBG funding is confirmed.
