City Hall·Lewiston City Council Budget Workshop
Lewiston Council debates budget amendment rules and two-year revaluation delay
The Lewiston City Council held a budget workshop to clarify the legal process for amending the municipal budget and to discuss the implementation of the new property tax revaluation. Councilors reached a preliminary consensus to request a two-year delay in the revaluation's effective date, while also exploring potential revenue increases from parking garages and cost savings from consolidating 911 services.
Key points
- City Attorney Marty Eisenstein explained that the 3.3 percent CPI cap on the tax levy applies to the total municipal budget, including school and county contributions, though some councilors disputed this interpretation.
- Councilors agreed to a deadline of May 7 for submitting formal budget amendments to allow staff time to review financial impacts before the May 19 meeting.
- A majority of the council expressed support for a two-year delay in the revaluation implementation, with Council President David Chittim and Councilor Bret Martel opposing the delay in favor of immediate implementation.
- Councilor Joshua Nagine proposed raising monthly parking garage fees to $65 or $70 to generate additional revenue, noting that current rates are below those in comparable communities.
- The council discussed the potential cost savings of consolidating the city's 911 call center with the county, though Administrator Bryan Kaenrath noted that Lewiston does not currently pay the same rate as other municipalities for county 911 services.
Next steps
- Administrator Bryan Kaenrath will draft a letter to Chief Assessor Healy requesting a two-year delay in the revaluation implementation.
- Staff will prepare a breakdown of costs and benefits for a phased-in revaluation approach for council review.
- The Economic Development Department will provide input on proposed parking garage fee increases.
- The council will schedule a dedicated session to discuss the Local Capital Improvement Plan (LCIP) before its expected June passage.
Where this came from
City of Lewiston, ME YouTube
The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.
Watch the meeting ↗The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.