The town of Brunswick, Maine is currently facing a 12 percent tax hike with a proposed $58.3 million budget for FY 2014. Here's how some residents reacted to the budget at the Town Council's May 6 public hearing.
Storified by Dylan Martin · Tue, May 07 2013 03:22:35
Brunswick Town Council meeting is starting any minute now. Public hearing on the proposed $58.3 million budget is tonight. Place is packed.
As it stands right now, the proposed $58.3 million budget for Brunswick would require a nearly 12 percent tax hike.
School Budget is a 6.6% increase, represents 10.32% of tax hike; Town Budget a 7.1% increase, represents 1.41% of hike; County: 5.6%, .24%
Brunswick Town Council indicated at a workshop last Thurs. that it wants to work on decreasing Town and School budgets to 5-7% tax hike.
Former councilor Marybeth Burbank is criticizing the Brunswick council for a flawed process, citing town charter. Will follow up with her.
Brunswick Town Manager Gary Brown said the town followed the correct process. Will have to follow up on Burbank's allegations later.
Now we are getting to Brunswick's public hearing for the $58.3 million budget.
Local blogger Pem Shaeffer is criticizing Brunswick council and School Board on budget: no one challenges costs.
Brunswick Community United leader Sarah Singer criticized council and board for not joining her and others in lobbying against state cuts.
Singer says she does not want BCU to be the face of support for rising property taxes.
Earlier, Shaeffer said school expenditures does not reflect school quality. Singer countered by pointing to state report cards...
... something she said has shown correlation between good school grades and wealthy communities. Costs do reflect quality, Singer says.
Brunswick resident (also BCU member?) said he supports School Board's budget: "it is unsustainable and unfair," but we have an obligation...
