Penobscot County Commissioners Hear Bids, Budget Update, Honor Volunteers

The Penobscot County Commissioners met on September 16, 2026, reviewing paving bids, a request to create a part-time emergency planning position, and a financial update on county funds and opioid settlement money. The meeting also included a Spirit of America awards ceremony recognizing volunteers from towns across the county.

Key points

• Commissioners reviewed four paving bids, ranging from about $126,848 to $269,000, for a roughly three-mile road project, with the low bid coming in below the engineer's estimate.
• A request was made to establish a part-time Local Emergency Planning Committee position, funded at about $15,000 for roughly eight hours per week starting in the fourth quarter.
• County Administrator Blair Tinkham reported the county is in good shape on its tax anticipation note, with about $7 million in tax revenue received and $3.5 million remaining in funds, and said opioid settlement funds will be moved into a segregated account.
• Officials discussed the county jail's condition and a bond strategy for relocating it, with the jail described as a struggle since three years after the Civil War and last renovated in 1986.
• The commissioners presented Spirit of America awards to numerous volunteers, including Thomas Copeland of Holden, Ruby Ann and Raymond Wade of Hampden, Jim Roy and Geraldine Richardson of Plymouth, Mark of Exeter, Becky and Todd Moore, the Aetna Volunteer Fire Department, Lee Joyce Whitaker, Jim River of Newport, and Patricia "Kitty" St. John.

Next steps

• The county budget is to be presented to commissioners by the end of the month for review.
• A public budget session was noted as open to the public at 5:30 p.m. at the meeting location.
• Officials plan to meet with the state on the additional state allocation and to continue discussions on the jail bond strategy.

Read the full transcript