Lewiston council weighs phased revaluation and budget cuts

The Lewiston City Council discussed strategies to mitigate the impact of the first property revaluation in 38 years, with several members favoring a one-year delay followed by a phased-in approach. Councilors also reviewed the city and school budgets, expressing concern over a 6.6% increase in city operating expenses and a 13.7% total tax burden increase, while debating the trade-offs between service cuts and staff layoffs.

Key points

• Administrator Bryan Kaenrath presented three options for the revaluation: proceed as is, delay one year, or phase in the increase over three years, noting that a phased approach is legally permissible but technically complex.
• Councilors Joshua Nagine, Susan Longchamps, and Michael Roy supported a one-year hold followed by a phased-in increase to allow residents time to adjust their finances.
• Council President David Chittim raised concerns about potential legal liability for the city if a delay results in some property owners not seeing the expected tax reductions, favoring a phased approach without a delay.
• The council discussed the city budget, which currently shows a 6.6% increase, with Nagine proposing a reduction of operating expenses to a 3% to 3.5% increase, while Longchamps and Roy expressed reluctance to cut staff positions.
• Chittim noted that the total tax burden increase of 13.7% is driven largely by non-negotiable county and school costs, making it difficult to achieve a 3% total increase without significant service reductions.
• The council agreed to provide guidance on the school budget, with most members opposing cuts to student-facing positions such as deans of students and mental health counselors.

Next steps

• Administrator Kaenrath will return next week with scenarios showing the impact of various budget cut levels, including potential staff reductions.
• The city will seek technical details and cost estimates from Tyler Technologies regarding the implementation of a phased-in revaluation.
• The council will review the school budget and provide final guidance to the school committee on the acceptable tax levy amount.

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