Buck: Budget Has Gone from ‘OMG’ to OK 

A breakdown of municipal revenue sources was included as part of the March 10 budget presentation. Photo: WSSR-TV 

By Zendelle Bouchard 

City of Sanford officials are proposing to utilize a bond to spread the cost of some significant one-time purchases in the budget for the next fiscal year. Together with expected cuts in the School Department budget, this will bring the impact on taxation to the level requested by city councilors who are closely watching the bottom line, according to City Manager Steve Buck. 

The council heard an in-depth presentation on the municipal side of the budget on March 10, which included the bond proposal based on feedback from councilors at the previous week’s initial presentation. Buck reported that the proposed bond for $485,000 would cover four major expenditures: City Hall roof repairs; the purchase of the Sewerage District building on River Street for the new headquarters of Sanford Parks & Recreation; ADA-compliant restrooms for the existing building at Carpentier Park, and a key card access system for Veterans Memorial Gym. The council is authorized to bond up to $1 million in capital projects without voter approval. 

The city will pay $42,854.85 in interest over the five-year term of the bond, bringing the total cost to $527,854.85. In fiscal year 2026/27, only the first interest payment will be due, then in subsequent years, interest plus $97,000 in principal will be due, with the bond scheduled to be completely paid off in November 2031. 

The restructuring of the Capital Improvements Plan with the new bond brings the municipal side of the proposed budget to a net-to-taxation increase of 1.73%. Buck said the city’s assessor expects to report $29 million in new taxable value when the assessment is finalized. With that figure added to the tax rolls, if the School Department can reduce its expenses by $750,000, the combined city and school budget would reflect a 4.5% total net-to-taxation increase. “I have gone from ‘oh my goodness’ to ‘OK, that is doable,’” Buck concluded. 

A strong state economy is boosting revenue sharing that comes into the city’s coffers, and the federal funds that have been earmarked to cover the debt service on the new fire stations for the next few years is mitigating what could have been a significant increase for taxpayers. 

The School Department will give the council an in-depth presentation on its budget on March 17 at 5 pm. A public hearing on the combined city and school budgets will follow during the regular council meeting at 7 pm. Both meetings are open to the public, live streamed and recorded for later viewing. The council will have March 24 and 31 (if necessary) to finalize the budgets before voting on them at the April 7 council meeting. The school budget validation vote will be held June 9, along with the state’s primary elections. 

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