Ellsworth nonprofits and city face $700,000 operating gap at Moore Community Center; council to review options

The Ellsworth Finance Committee heard detailed budget figures and space-use data for the Moore Community Center, and representatives from the YMCA told committee members the current lease structure is not sustainable given rising costs and changes in state childcare reimbursements.

The discussion matters because the Moore Community Center houses multiple community programs — including YMCA childcare, Friends in Action events, the Ellsworth Community Music Institute and, starting this year, space for the Ellsworth School Department — and because the financial burden of operating that shared building is split unevenly between the YMCA and the city.

Representatives described how space is allocated and how operating costs are split. The YMCA occupies roughly 9,000 square feet (including the kitchen), Friends in Action (FIA) about 4,000 square feet (including the dining room), ECMI about 250 square feet, and the Ellsworth School Department is scheduled to use roughly 1,600 square feet in two classrooms. The remaining shared spaces — atrium, theater, gymnasium and circulation areas — total about 13,000 square feet and are treated as YMCA-managed shared space under the existing lease.

YMCA staff summarized the center’s operating budget and said that when the Moore Community Center management budget is combined with the YMCA’s childcare operations and the center’s federally guided food program, the organization is operating at a substantial deficit. "Roll all this together and everything that we're doing at the Moore Community Center, we're losing a quarter million dollars," a YMCA staff member said during the presentation. The presenter showed line-item figures including salary and benefits, allocations for administrative services, supplies and occupancy costs (electricity and heating), and said recent capital work such as a roof replacement exceeded the lease’s $5,000 repair threshold that triggers city responsibility for larger repairs.

The YMCA provided program and rental-rate details: external rentals are $30 per hour; Ellsworth nonprofits pay $20 per hour; the center does not charge other city departments. The presenter noted the YMCA lists $64,000 in childcare rent for the Moore site in the center’s resale/rental receipts and estimated program income for the combined childcare operations at about $1.1 million after including childcare grants and fees. For the Moore Community Center management budget alone, program income was listed near $2,000.

Childcare-specific figures were presented as context. For the 2024–25 school year the Moore site had 101 enrolled children: 28 infants/toddlers, 33 preschoolers and 40 after-school students. Twenty-three enrolled children received state subsidy; 83% of enrolled children were Ellsworth residents. Presenters said changes in state subsidy eligibility (from 85% to 125% of state median income) and lower reimbursement rates have reduced the revenue the YMCA receives per subsidized child. The presenter said state reimbursements moved from roughly the mid-90 percentiles of program rates in 2014 to closer to 75 percent now in Hancock County, increasing the YMCA’s effective subsidy shortfall.

Council members pressed for clarity on how the shortfall is covered and on the city’s role. "So as we sit here today, the city is contributing 432,000 to this issue," Council member Steve said, citing his quick aggregation of city debt service, annual contributions and an estimate for maintenance. Steve asked for the full financial picture so the public and the council can see where funds come from and how the gap might be closed.

YMCA board chair Matt Bowles said the organization’s overall finances are near break-even when looking at the entire YMCA operation. "We made a net $20,000. It's basically a breakeven," Bowles told the committee, adding that the Moore Center’s losses limit the YMCA’s ability to reinvest in other properties and programs in the region.

Committee members and presenters discussed options without making a formal decision. Options under consideration included: (1) modest amendments to the 2014 lease to reallocate some shared operating costs; (2) the city taking direct operational responsibility for the Moore Community Center and charging the YMCA and other users rental rates similar to other nonprofits; or (3) a negotiated hybrid in which the city assumes some fixed costs and the YMCA continues program operations under revised terms. The City Manager said the intention is to pursue a collaborative, multi-stakeholder process rather than unilateral action.

The Finance Committee asked staff to prepare fuller accounts and cost estimates for a full-council workshop. Committee members emphasized transparency to correct public perception that the YMCA operates the property for a token fee without bearing significant operating costs. Presenters also asked that the workshop examine the interplay of the school department’s planned use of classrooms and how that will affect shared-space costs, custodial needs and food-service operations.

The meeting ended with a direction to the committee chair and city staff to schedule a full-council workshop that will include the YMCA, Friends in Action, ECMI, the school department and relevant city departments to review the complete financial picture and to model scenarios for the 2026 budget cycle.

The Finance Committee did not adopt a formal motion or change the lease during the meeting; members requested additional data and a council-level workshop before any formal action.