Bangor council gets first look at city budget, parks referendum plan

City Manager Carollynn Lear presented her proposed budget at an April 13 council workshop, outlining new positions, a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, a 12% health insurance estimate, and a major technology project. The council also heard updates on sidewalk parking enforcement, parades, vacant building enforcement, and the ethics board, and discussed splitting the parks and recreation project into separate conversations. A motion to find Councilor Mallar had a conflict of interest on the school budget was tabled.

Key points

• City Manager Lear presented a proposed budget that includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for non-bargained positions, an estimated 12% health insurance increase, and $313,000 for the state's new paid family medical leave mandate.
• Lear proposed new positions including a second finance staff accountant, a second downtown patrol officer, additional Central Fire Station firefighters, full-time bus drivers, two treasury and records clerks, and IT staff, and said an emergency manager position is unfunded while she researches the need.
• Lear said the budget continues setting aside money for a citywide finance and HR technology project, starting with a needs assessment and an RFP, and that a larger funding request would likely come in a future budget.
• Councilor Beck moved to find Councilor Mallar had a conflict of interest on the school budget and gross appropriation, citing comments about multilingual students; Councilor Leonard seconded, and the motion was tabled until before the council meets with the school committee on May 7.
• City Solicitor David Szewczyk reported nine properties have been removed from the vacant building list since the start of the year, leaving 56 on the list, and that nine of 11 court-bound enforcement matters have resolved.
• Parks and Recreation Director Tracy Willett proposed using the next two or three workshops to walk through the parks and recreation project in pieces, with the goal of possibly revisiting a November referendum; Councilor Leonard argued child care facilities should be handled separately from Sawyer Arena.

Next steps

• City staff will conduct public outreach on the ordinance against parking that blocks sidewalks, followed by enforcement in coming months.
• The council will revisit the tabled conflict-of-interest motion before meeting with the school committee on May 7.
• The ethics board is expected to review and approve written findings this week on the third of three referrals, after which the council plans to schedule a meeting to discuss the findings and next steps.
• Councilor Faloon will rework her proposed ethics code amendments and circulate them, with discussion expected in May.
• Parks and Recreation will bring pieces of the facilities project to the next two or three council workshops.

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