View in browser   |   Forward

We have budget stories this week out of Waterville and SAD 58 – in northern Franklin County – reflecting the tension between municipal and school budgets and what voters are willing to spend.

Early in June, the Waterville City Council rejected proposed municipal and school operating budgets, sending the municipal part of the budget back to town officials to make deeper cuts. On Tuesday, the council adopted a first reading of that revised budget, which reflects a 4.9 percent increase in property taxes, well below the original 13.68 percent increase.

The call to trim budgets is being heard in towns and cities across the state.

On Tuesday last week, SAD 58 voters rejected the $12.7 million school budget, which was the figure voters approved at the district budget meeting in May. But, rather than implementing cuts, the SAD 58 board bucked the trend to trim and decided to send the original higher budget to voters later this summer, based on feedback directors heard from the community.

Have a great weekend, and please share this newsletter with family members and friends. They can sign up on our website to have it delivered to their own inbox each Saturday. 

Waterville City Council advances revised budget after earlier rejection: Reworked spending plan clears first reading as officials warn of rising taxes and tougher choices ahead. Read this story by Makayla Morello

After reduced plan fails, MSAD 58 board of directors sends full budget back to voters: Voters rejected the trimmed proposal by 51 votes and will now consider the district’s original $13.2 million budget. Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Waterville City Council approves pilot program to expand access to opioid treatment: The decision allows paramedics to start treatment during 911 calls for the first time and link patients with ongoing support. Read this story by Makayla Morello

Rangeley officials confront major shifts in regional valuation formula: Federal cuts may scale back the Scenic Gateways Project as officials also address sticker shortages, tax relief discussions and new valuation data. Read this story by Ashton F. LeCraw

Why UMaine got another ‘F’ for how it teaches reading instruction: Maine’s flagship university did not provide records about its reading instruction curriculum after the National Council on Teacher Quality asked for them in a public records request. Read this story by Kristian Moravec

Maine’s property tax revolt collides with reality of rising school budgets: Local officials are crashing into a heavy political reality: Deep cuts are not just unpopular, they are difficult to find. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Maine Monitor and Bangor Daily News

Maine House candidate could win primary despite dropping out of race: Lawrence “Skip” Bessey decided to end his campaign for the Maine House’s 58th district not long after he launched the bid. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Monitor and BDN

Maine has never seen a ranked-choice primary like this one: For the first time ever, Maine has seen three statewide or congressional primary races move on to ranked-choice voting tabulation. The previous record was two in 2018. Read this story by Matt Junker

Franklin County municipal elections and annual town meetings, June 22: Wilton

Oxford County municipal elections and annual town meetings, June 27: Otisfield

The following stories are from other newsrooms. While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind a paywall, some newsrooms we link to below may. Paywalled stories are followed by a ($). We encourage you to consider supporting local Maine newsrooms.

MaineHealth has received more than $1 million in federal funds to study the impact of PFAS on children | Maine Public 

Town leaders react to sidelined data center project in Jay | WMTW

Harrison voters approved a $5.25 million budget | Advertiser Democrat ($)

Despite the drought last fall, winter ticks have taken another heavy toll on young moose | Maine Public 

Strawberries are likely to be more impacted by the drought, with farms predicting a shorter season | WABI

Maine's struggling wild blueberry farmers look to feds for aid | Spectrum News Maine

A new study from Dartmouth College indicates that Maine’s rainfall is consolidating into heavier storms that are resulting in less water getting absorbed by the ground | Public News Service

Voters in Bethel rejected a proposed budget to contract police services with Oxford County Sheriff’s Office | Bethel Citizen ($)

Additional leases associated with offshore wind power projects have been bought back by the federal government, including two for floating turbines in the Gulf of Maine | Spectrum News Maine

This year’s election is expected to draw half a billion dollars in ads | Maine Public 

Ticonic Bridge connecting Waterville and Winslow reopens | WABI

Millions of dollars in federal funding secured for economic development projects across Maine | WABI

High home prices and limited inventory have Mainers feeling stuck at all life stages | Maine Public

Maine educators, policymakers gather for citizens’ assembly to shape education policies | WABI

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can reach Monitor Local editor Judy Meyer directly via email:  judy@themainemonitor.org. 

The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.

Manage preferences | Update email address