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Caribou opens public hearing on 2025 municipal budget with $1.2M shortfall; final vote set for next week
Summary
City Manager Penny Thompson opened a public hearing on the 2025 municipal expense, capital and revenue budgets, citing a projected $1,207,214 shortfall that could translate to roughly a 2.5-mill property tax increase; the council will vote on a final budget at its next meeting.
City Manager Penny Thompson opened a public hearing March 10 on Caribou’s 2025 municipal budgets, telling the council the initial numbers show a projected shortfall of about $1,207,214 that would need to be raised through property taxes.
Thompson said, “The general fund expense budget is $12,514,121.” She told the council the recommended capital budget used for illustration was $1,092,797 and the general fund revenue (income) budget was $11,523,007.60, excluding enterprise funds. Thompson said lapsed appropriations from 2023 totaled $565,944 and the appropriation allowance moved from 2024 was $310,000; after subtracting projected revenues and reserves the shortfall was $1,207,214, which she said could amount to “over a 2.5 mill increase.”
Councilors and department heads discussed line-item placements and suggestions from the budget committee. Fire department requests and equipment items drew specific attention; a department head said moving items from capital to expense increased her operating budget by $32,400 and asked the council to remove a duplicated capital listing for an item listed as “$808,800 for replacement batteries for our hydraulic rescue equipment.” Councilors and staff agreed the battery replacement should remain in expense and be removed from capital, and that some cuts recommended in capital had been reallocated to departmental expense budgets.
Manager Thompson said the council will return to the unfinished budget at the next regular meeting and asked members to submit suggestions before Wednesday’s department-head meeting; she reminded councilors that some costs (union contracts, utilities) limit flexibility and that choices essentially narrow to raising the mill rate or cutting services or positions.
Thompson said final figures remain approximate because property valuations and exemption filings continue through April 1 and the city is awaiting certification of assessment ratios. The council closed the public hearing at about 6:30 p.m. and scheduled a final vote for the next Monday meeting.
