ROCKLAND — On Wednesday, Sept. 3, "the community is invited to gather for a special celebration of democracy, recovery, and community care," said a City of Rockland news release.

The celebration will take place at 5:15 p.m., at the Council Chambers of Rockland City Hall, 270 Pleasant Street, prior to the City Council’s agenda-setting meeting.

This year, for the very first time, Rockland residents had the opportunity to directly vote on how opioid settlement funds should be used here at home. Rockland is the first community in Maine to use a participatory budgeting process for these funds—putting the power of decision-making directly into the hands of local voters.

Beginning in June, Rockland residents had the opportunity to choose from among three different proposals to allocate this year’s disbursement of $36,000.

• Rides for Recovery (Waldo CAP): Reduced-cost rides for Rockland residents seeking support for Opioid Use Disorder.
• Rockland Recovery Scholarship: Scholarships at the Friends House for individuals in recovery.
• Harm Reduction Resource Expansion: Recovery resources and lockboxes for safe medication storage.

Voting options included choosing one of the three proposals, funding all three proposals, or rolling the money over until next year. At the September 3 gathering, the winning project(s) will be announced and celebrated.

“This process is about more than money—it’s about giving people a voice, and making sure our community shapes its own path forward,” said participatory budgeting committee member Mark Glovin. “We hope everyone will join us in celebrating our community choosing together how to respond with care and creativity to one of the toughest challenges we face.”

Event Details:

• What: Community Celebration – Rockland’s Participatory Budgeting Winners
• When: Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 5:15 PM
• Where: Rockland City Hall Council Chambers, 270 Pleasant Street

"Everyone is welcome," said the City. "Please come be part of this moment in Rockland’s history." 

For more information on the proposals and the voting process is available here.

For more information please contact: Mark Glovin Committee Chair at markaglovin@gmail.com, or the committee at ospbc@gmail.com