City Hall·Lewiston City Council Budget Workshop and Council Meeting3/17/26
Lewiston Council reviews FY27 budget, mass shooting support services
The Lewiston City Council held a budget workshop reviewing the Tax Increment Financing fund, Economic Development, and federal grant budgets for Community Development Block Grants and the HOME Investment Partnership Program. The council also received an informational update on the Maine Resiliency Center, which has served over 900 individuals since the October 2023 mass shooting, and discussed potential partnerships for a community needs assessment.
Key points
- City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath presented the FY27 budget, noting that Economic Development reserve requests were removed to lower the tax rate, while public art funds remain available from prior balances.
- Catherine Ruth, Community Development Manager, detailed the CDBG and HOME budgets, highlighting new funding categories for lead grant matches and housing rehabilitation to assist low-income homeowners.
- Danielle Parent, Director of the Maine Resiliency Center, reported that the center has facilitated over 320 support groups and 133 community events since opening 19 days after the 2023 shooting.
- Senator Peggy Rotundo explained that the Maine Mass Violence Care Fund, a $5 million endowment, will begin distributing approximately $200,000 annually in October 2026 to cover medical and counseling bills for survivors.
- Councilor Scott Harriman raised procedural concerns about the mayor's authority to reorder agenda items, citing council rules that typically require items to be addressed in printed order.
- Public commenters addressed issues including needle litter in downtown Lewiston, police presence in council chambers, and the installation of a Flock camera tracker on private property.
Next steps
- The city administration will work with the Maine Resiliency Center to develop a Memorandum of Understanding for a community needs assessment.
- The first public hearing on the FY27 budget is scheduled for April 7, with a final hearing on May 5.
- The city will host Facebook Live conversations regarding the property revaluation process on April 7 and April 21.
- The Lewiston Live busking festival will take place on multiple dates in April and May on Lisbon Street.
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.