A Northport and a Searsmont facility are among others in the state being considered for portions of $8,694,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for community centers and municipal buildings in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill. The listed facilities were officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 10 and now await consideration by the full Senate and House.  

“Community centers and municipal facilities house important services for residents throughout Maine,” said U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “This funding would support upgrades and renovations to facilities that provide everything from emergency shelters to town offices and community meeting spaces. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”   

This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate.    

Funding advanced by Senator Collins for Maine community centers and municipal buildings in the FY 2026 Agriculture bills is as follows:   

Littleton Town Garage   

Recipient: Town of Littleton   

Project Location: Littleton, ME  

Amount Requested: $896,000   

Project Purpose: To construct a garage for municipal vehicles and equipment.  

Northport Community Center and Town Office  

Recipient: Town of Northport   

Project Location: Northport, ME  

Amount Requested: $2,325,000   

Project Purpose: To construct a facility to consolidate the town office and community center, which would also serve as an emergency shelter.  

Penobscot Storage Facility  

Recipient: Town of Penobscot    

Project Location: Penobscot, ME  

Amount Requested: $1,429,000  

Project Purpose: To relocate the salt and sand storage facility.  

Searsmont Storage Facility  

Recipient: Town of Searsmont   

Project Location: Searsmont, ME  

Amount Requested: $970,000  

Project Purpose: To construct a salt and sand storage facility.  

Town of Solon Public Works and Garage   

Recipient: Town of Solon  

Project Location: Solon, ME  

Amount Requested: $1,500,000   

Project Purpose: To construct a public works and transportation garage.  

Westfield Town Garage   

Recipient: Town of Westfield  

Project Location: Westfield, ME  

Amount Requested: $1,574,000   

Project Purpose: To construct a town garage.   

In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending.  Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024.  As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.