05/10/2019

Adoption of $42 million combined municipal budget for 2020 tabled to May 13

The Town Council on May 6, 2019 tabled its decision on a $42 million combined municipal budget for 2019-20 until May 13.

The proposed general-fund budget for town, school and county services is up 6.5 percent over this year, and poses a tax rate of $19.76, up 3.9 percent over this year. [download summary]. The 74-cent tax-rate increase would add $259 to the bill on a home valued at $350,000. The school portion of the budget is subject to approval in a townwide validation referendum June 11.

Traditionally the council tables budget adoption until after a public hearing so that councilors have time to consider public comment. The May 6 hearing, however, drew no speakers.

The draft budget includes $300,000 in net revenues anticipated from a proposed parking-fee program at Fort Williams Park. Councilors on May 13 are also expected to vote on whether to implement the program, which will establish parking fees for out-of-town visitors from May 1-Nov. 1. [news article]

The budget also includes $189,000 for a school-facilities needs assessment, recommended by a study committee representing a wide variety of stakeholders. The committee met four times this fall to tour facilities, conduct interviews and to determine whether a formal assessment is needed. Last year's school-budget proposal included $249,000 for an engineering and architectural feasibility study, but the council did not approve that funding, calling instead for more community involvement in determining the need. [news article]

In other matters, the council on May 6 approved nine special-fund budgets, with total revenues of revenues of $3,464,314 and expenditures of $4,177,573:

Special Fund Budgets 2020

	Budget	Estimated	Budget	Estimated	Budget	$ Change	% Change
Expenditures	FY 2018	FY 2018	FY 2019	FY 2019	FY 2020	2019 to 2020	2019 to 2020
Cape Elizabeth Rescue Fund	$   447,336	$   429,161	$   539,200	$   529,700	$   549,917	$      10,717	2.0%
Cape Elizabeth Sewer Fund	$2,099,300	$2,178,559	$2,161,346	$2,025,045	$2,112,871	$    (48,475)	-2.2%
Spurwink Church Fund	$       9,209	$       7,990	$     10,491	$       6,859	$     10,491	$             -	0.0%
Riverside Cemetery Fund	$     57,328	$     54,235	$     66,589	$     59,362	$     56,043	$    (10,546)	-15.8%
Fort Williams Park Capital Fund	$   264,135	$   258,885	$   173,246	$   170,398	$   290,975	$    117,729	68.0%
Portland Head Light Fund	$   560,643	$   615,663	$   628,035	$   635,000	$   670,241	$      42,206	6.7%
Thomas Jordan Fund	$     52,035	$     12,035	$     37,035	$     11,910	$     37,035	$             -	0.0%
Infrastructure Improvement Fund	$            -	$            -	$            -			$             -	#DIV/0!
Land Acquisition Fund	$            -	$            -	$   167,714	$   167,714	$            -	$   (167,714)	-100.0%
Senior Citizen Tax Relief			$     75,000	$     65,000	$     75,000	$             -	0.0%
Use of General Fund carry Forward	$   317,400	$   317,400	$   375,000	$   375,000	$   375,000	$             -	0.0%
Total Budget	$3,807,386	$3,873,928	$4,233,656	$4,045,988	$4,177,573	$    (56,083)	-1.3%
	Budget	Estimated	Budget	Estimated	Budget	$ Change	% Change
Revenues	FY 2018	FY 2018	FY 2019	FY 2019	FY 2020	2019 to 2020	2019 to 2020
Cape Elizabeth Rescue Fund	$   390,000	$   280,000	$   300,000	$   310,000	$   325,000	$      25,000	8.3%
Cape Elizabeth Sewer Fund	$2,028,300	$2,040,270	$2,032,300	$2,032,000	$2,040,300	$        8,000	0.4%
Spurwink Church Fund	$       4,700	$         900	$       1,200	$       1,200	$       1,200	$             -	0.0%
Riverside Cemetery Fund	$     44,300	$     69,000	$     67,000	$     68,000	$     66,000	$      (1,000)	-1.5%
Fort Williams Park Capital Fund	$   201,355	$   204,225	$   199,800	$   216,700	$   270,700	$      70,900	35.5%
Portland Head Light Fund	$   576,000	$   676,000	$   636,000	$   708,900	$   688,200	$      52,200	8.2%
Thomas Jordan Fund	$     40,000	$     40,000	$     40,000	$     40,000	$     40,000	$             -	0.0%
Infrastructure Improvement Fund	$            -	$            -	$            -	$            -	$            -	$             -	0.0%
Land Acquisition Fund	$     32,914	$     32,914	$   112,914	$     32,914	$     32,914	$    (80,000)	-70.9%
Total Revenues	$3,317,569	$3,343,309	$3,389,214	$3,409,714	$3,464,314	$      75,100	2.2%

Budget Summary
Fiscal Year  2020

	FY 2019	FY 2020	$ Change	% Change
	BUDGET	BUDGET	FY 19  to FY 20	FY 19 to FY 20
EXPENDITURES
TOTAL MUNICIPAL	$      12,368,374	$      13,388,395	$        1,020,021	8.2%
COUNTY ASSESSMENT	$        1,392,240	$        1,456,670	$             64,430	4.6%
Local Homestead Exemption	$           300,000	$           300,000	$                    -	0.0%
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$      25,392,276	$      26,890,420	$        1,498,144	5.9%
	$      39,452,890	$      42,035,485	$        2,582,595	6.5%
REVENUE
TOTAL MUNICIPAL	$        5,032,007	$        5,513,400	$           481,393	9.6%
FWP PAY AND DISPLAY REVENUE		$           300,000	$           300,000
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$        1,768,977	$        2,098,487	$           329,510	18.6%
TOTAL	$        6,800,984	$        7,911,887	$        1,110,903	16.3%
NET TO TAXES
TOWN  SERVICES	$        7,336,367	$        7,574,995	$           238,628	3.3%
Local Homestead Exemption	$           300,000	$           300,000	$                    -	0.0%
COUNTY ASSESSMENT	$        1,392,240	$        1,456,670	$             64,430	4.6%
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$      23,623,299	$      24,791,933	$        1,168,634	4.9%
TOTAL	$      32,651,906	$      34,123,598	$        1,471,692	4.5%
TAX RATES (Rounded to nearest ¢)
Local Homestead Exemption	$                0.17	$                0.17	$                    -	0.0%
TOTAL MUNICIPAL	$                4.27	$                4.39	$                0.11	2.6%
COUNTY ASSESSMENT	$                0.81	$                0.84	$                0.03	4.0%
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT	$              13.76	$              14.36	$                0.60	4.4%
TOTAL	$              19.02	$              19.76	$                0.74	3.9%
TAX RATE VALUATION BASIS	$ 1,716,471,800	$ 1,727,000,000	$  10,528,200.00	0.6%