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Ellsworth council adopts FY2026 budget after public hearing; school vote to be decided by residents
Summary
The City Council approved a $27.2 million municipal budget for fiscal 2026 that the city manager and staff say holds growth to about 2.9% overall; the school portion will be ratified by voters in a June 10 validation election.
The Ellsworth City Council on Tuesday approved the city's fiscal 2026 municipal budget, a $27,155,150 spending plan that officials say keeps net levy growth near the consumer price index at 2.9 percent.
City Manager Charlie Pierce and finance staff told the council the proposed municipal appropriation reflects tightened spending and several prioritized capital items and staffing adjustments while anticipating a modest mill-rate change based on current valuation projections. The package includes the municipal portion of the budget the council can adopt now; the school portion will be decided by voters in a validation election June 10.
The city manager said the budget process involved nine public meetings and roughly 23 hours of discussion this cycle and that the budget 'targets an inflationary benchmark' to keep year-to-year tax rate changes predictable. Highlights cited by manager and staff include funding for parks and recreation, two additional firefighters tied to a shift change and EMS upgrade, a new city janitor position to replace contracted cleaning services, an added police officer and dispatcher, and about $50,000 for Nolan Park improvements.
Finance Director Nate Moore and Deputy Finance Director Ashley (last name not specified in the transcript) were credited by staff and councilors for detailed budget work. The manager also noted an estimated mill rate of about 16.84 based on an assumed 5% valuation increase; final tax commitment figures will be confirmed at the June meeting after assessor updates.
Council members and staff warned that the final city tax bill depends on the school vote and final valuation. Several councilors praised the transparency and level of detail produced this year, while at least one member urged delaying final council action until the June meeting so staff could begin preparations only after the school vote was resolved. The council voted to approve the municipal budget with the understanding the school appropriation will be ratified following the public election.
What happens next: the city will ratify the school-side numbers after the June 10 vote, complete the formal tax commitment with the assessor, and continue follow-up briefings on capital planning, TIF (tax increment financing) consultant work and multi-year capital improvement planning.
