South Berwick adopts updated general assistance ordinance as residents urge more outreach and funding

The South Berwick Town Council voted 4-0 on Oct. 14 to adopt the Maine Municipal Association (MMA) general assistance ordinance and updated appendices A through H, including GA housing maximums for recovery residences, effective Oct. 1, 2025.

The adoption came after a public hearing in which residents and nonprofit volunteers urged the council to review whether the town's current financial and outreach approach to general assistance is sufficient as federal programs tighten and local need appears to be rising.

Dolores Leonard, of Old Fields Road, read a letter urging the council to examine the town's safety net and convene a forum with nonprofits. "Ensuring that our neighbors can stay warm, fed, and housed through the winter is a matter of compassion and community stability," Leonard told the council while asking that staff and the council assess whether the town's current aid and coordination are adequate.

Town staff summarized how the program works and how the town has used it. The town manager said general assistance (GA) is a last-resort program for immediate basic…