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Bar Harbor council tentatively adopts FY27 budget, hears Warrant Committee recommendations to cut events and staffing
Summary
At a Feb. 24 joint meeting, the Bar Harbor Town Council received Warrant Committee recommendations to remove funding for Community Events and several proposed new positions, amended the proposed FY27 budget to update assessments and school figures, and tentatively adopted the FY27 budget while setting a public hearing. All recorded council votes were unanimous 6-0.
Bar Harbor Town Council received a series of Warrant Committee recommendations and took two formal orders related to the FY2027 municipal budget at a joint meeting on Feb. 24, 2026. Councilors unanimously approved motions to amend the proposed budget and to tentatively adopt the FY27 budget and set a public hearing.
The Warrant Committee, presented by Chair Smith, recommended several specific changes to the proposed budget. The committee asked the town to re-evaluate its relationship with the online polling platform Polco. It also recommended removing funding for the Community Events line (committee vote 9-3), removing a proposed new Purchasing Agent position (11-1), removing a proposed new Parks position (7-6), and removing a proposed Environmental Services Foreman position (11-1). Councilors asked about the recommendation to remove Community Events funding; Chair Smith and Finance Director Sarah Gilbert answered questions during the discussion.
On formal council business, Councilor Maya Caines, seconded by Councilor Earl Brechlin, moved to pass Order 2026-02-13 to amend the proposed FY27 budget to update assessments and the school budget; the roll-call vote was 6-0 (Kief, Brechlin, Peacock, Caines, Minutolo, Sprague). The council then considered Order 2026-02-14 to tentatively adopt the FY27 budget and set a public hearing; Caines moved and Brechlin seconded, and the motion carried by the same unanimous roll-call vote. The transcript records that a public hearing was set but does not specify a date.
Earlier in the meeting the council also approved, by motion and roll call, excusing Councilor Boucher from the session (moved by Councilor Caines, seconded by Councilor Brechlin; vote 6-0), and adopted the meeting agenda by unanimous vote. The meeting was called to order at 6:32 p.m. and adjourned at 6:59 p.m.
The Warrant Committee recommendations recorded committee-level vote counts but are advisory; the council’s formal actions in the transcript were the two orders described above and the setting of a public hearing. The transcript does not record final council action specifically accepting or rejecting each Warrant Committee staffing recommendation, only the committee’s recommendations and the council’s separate votes on the two orders.
