Sanford Finance Director Ronni Lynn Champlin (lower left) speaks to the City Council as City Clerk Sue Cote (lower right, on Zoom), looks on. Photo: WSSR-TV
By Zendelle Bouchard
The Sanford City Council approved the municipal budget for fiscal year 2026-27 at its April 7 meeting but delayed taking action on the school budget until final revenue figures are in.
As we reported last week (see that story https://sanfordspringvalenews.com/recommended-budget-89-cent-tax-rate-increase/), approval of the combined proposed budgets would have resulted in a tax rate hike of 89 cents per $1,000 of valuation. However, the state legislature is weighing revised figures for Essential Programs and Services that would bring $230,490 in additional funding to the Sanford School District. If approved, that extra revenue means the tax rate will increase by 80 cents per thousand instead of 89, reducing the impact to next year’s tax bills by 10 percent and making the overall net-to-taxation increase 5.98% instead of 6.52%.
The legislature will adjourn April 15, so the council will have the final figures and know the amount of any additional revenue and can adjust accordingly before its next meeting on April 21, when it will vote to approve the school portion of the budget. Voters have the final say at the School Budget Validation Referendum on June 9.
Resident Chris Farwell asked whether the significant increases in health insurance premiums for municipal and school employees were being borne by the taxpayers. City Manager Steve Buck responded that the city pays 80% of insurance premiums and the employees pay 20%, and that proportional share will apply to increases. Superintendent of Schools Matt Nelson said School Department employees also pay a share of the cost, although the percentage varies as there are multiple negotiated contracts with teachers and staff.
Farwell then asked for amendments to specific line items in the budget, but Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy explained that the council was at the very end of a months-long budget process, and residents had numerous opportunities to weigh in earlier before appropriation numbers were finalized. She encouraged him to bring comments to the public hearing on the budget next year.
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