The Portland City Council approved a nearly $262 million operating budget Monday night, which will result in a nearly 6 percent increase on the city’s side of the budget.
This budget now joins the school department’s budget of roughly $148 million, which called for a tax increase of 5.7 percent for city residents. That proposal was overwhelmingly approved by voters in June, as is typical of Portland school budgets.
The approval included a handful of amendments, such as a proposal from Councilor Anna Trevorrow to add $175,000 to a clean elections program approved by voters last November. Councilor Regina Phillips also offered a successful amendment for a new position at the Barron Center, a city-run long-term care facility, adding $53,000.
Portland will receive just under $8 million from the state legislature for General Assistance funds, which increases reimbursement from 70 percent to 90 percent.
The Council had previously delayed voting on the budget until resolution of the GA reimbursement. The city’s fiscal year starts on July 1.
While the general fund of the budget is around $262 million, the actual number in the budget is 332.8 million. The general fund is the portion of the budget which impacts the tax rates. The total municipal spending budget includes other self-funding revenue sources, like the Portland International Jetport.
Between the school department and the city’s approved budgets, the owner of a home valued at $375,000 can expect a property tax increase of roughly $300 annually.
