Hallowell council tables municipal expense budget to July amid assessor-number uncertainty

The Hallowell City Council voted to table consideration of the municipal expense budget for fiscal year 2026–27 until the July council meeting after members debated whether to approve the plan without final property-assessment numbers.

Councilor Cooper said the prudent step was to wait for the assessors’ figures before finalizing the budget. “My recommendation would be to wait till we get the numbers because that’s the proper way to budget,” Cooper said. The city manager urged councilors to judge whether the proposed expense budget reflects what the city needs to operate, noting, “the council’s job is to pass an expense and a revenue budget.”

The finance committee’s proposed expense budget included funding for a fifth officer position and up to $110,000 of TIF money for a sidewalk-sweeper machine. Councilors discussed whether those items should move forward without the assessors’ numbers, which determine the mill rate and, ultimately, how much tax revenue will be available. Councilors noted that most municipalities commonly pass budgets on estimates and then reconcile once assessors’ figures are set.

After debate, a motion to table consideration of the expense budget to the July meeting passed on a 4–3 vote. Councilors then voted to table agenda items 7 through 13 to the July meeting as well; after a clarification and re-vote the tabling of those items was recorded as approved by unanimous consent.

The council did not adopt the expense budget at the special meeting. The council will reconvene in July to consider the budget once the Board of Assessors issues final values and the council can assess any mill-rate impact.