Municipal and school budgets under scrutiny

Sun, 03/15/2026 - 6:41pm

Ed O'Brien

A view of Megunticook Lake from a snowy hike undertook Saturday by Boy Scout Troop 200. (Photo by Jack O’Brien)

I am thinking it must be nearly 20 years since my name was written on the ballot, and I got the call from Town Administrator and my next door neighbor, Dave Kinney, informing me that I had been elected to the Lincolnville Budget Committee, and would I consent to serve.

I did, and I have, year after year. Sometimes I have taken out papers and got my name on the ballot, a few times I forgot, and got written in anyway. I am trying to be better about doing it the official way, recognizing that tallying write in candidates must be a pain for our volunteer election clerks.

As far as service to your town, the budget committee is where it is at. Our meetings tend to be limited to three or four months in the beginning of the year, when we are presented with the municipal and school budgets. I view our role as a check on the Select Board and the School Committee, who initially offer their recommendations on the municipal and school budgets, respectively. Our job is to review the same information and offer our recommendations, which may differ, and all will be presented to the members of the community at Town Meeting in June. If you want to know how the sausage is made, this is the place.

I have said before and I stand by it, Town Meeting Democracy is just about as pure as it gets.

We live in a time where it seems like everyone is suspicious of the government, and all sorts of conspiracies get promoted. Every effort is made to dissuade this notion in Lincolnville. All meetings are open to the public, and generally watchable online. I remember many years ago being the only one on the Budget Committee advocating for throwing $1,000 toward streaming municipal meetings. Now the town has its own YouTube Channel.

Getting onto a board or committee is easy. While School Committee, Budget Committee, and Select Board occasionally involves a competitive election, many just involve reaching out to the town office. There is always more need than interested parties.

The town budget impacts your property tax bill, and it doesn’t matter if you rent or own your home in Lincolnville, it affects you. The numbers are coming in. Now, I don’t know about you, but my own yearly budget just keeps rising, year after year. I am told this may stabilize a bit after the kids move on, but groceries and utilities and books just keep getting more expensive.

The proposed municipal budget looks pretty reasonable — just a modest 2.6% increase. It is the school budget, always the bigger proportion of our town tax burden, that worries me.

Lincolnville is a very desirable town for young families. Beyond our amazing scenery, from the coastal views to the pine and hardwood forests, and of course our charming and colorful locals, Lincolnville is blessed with an absolutely incredible PreK-8 school. Lincolnville Central School is known for its amazing teaching staff and wide variety of opportunities for our kids to show their abilities in the visual and performing arts, athletics, and STEM. Not to mention we are part of the Five Town Consolidated School District, sending our kids on to one the of the best high schools in the state.

Unfortunately, this comes with a cost, and the state, in its effort to recalculate how much money it sends to support local schools, has decreased the amount it sends Lincolnville. To the tune of $141,000 less money from the state. We are a town with a lot of new wealth, by virtue of being a village on the coast of Penobscot Bay. Many of us saw this in the recent property value reassessment. What should have been a school budget with a similarly modest 3.2% increase over the prior year, ended up as a 15.29% increase, simply due to less money coming from Augusta.

The School Committee, of course, at their March 2nd budget workshop, with the budget committee and select board in attendance, recognized that this is an unacceptable burden. They asked Superintendent Shawn Carlson and Principal Justin Bennett to come back in a couple weeks, with some proposals for how they could cut the LCS budget, to make up for the state funds we will no longer receive.

As I state above, nothing is getting cheaper. Even if the budget is not increased over last year, we are still facing a 11.23% increase, and the potential loss of programs for our students. If we want to get the number below 10%, I can’t see how we do that without cuts to staff.

The LCS Budget workshop, part 2, will be Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m., and all are all invited. Justin and Shawn will propose their cuts, we, the townspeople, will have the opportunity to make our voices heard.

This is democracy. It takes involvement, showing up and speaking for what is important to you. Hard decisions, working together as a community to determine solutions.

Between the Lines at LCS

Speaking of LCS, this week the middle school will present Between the Lines, Jr. on the stage at Walsh Cafeteria, March 19, 20, and 21 at 6:30 p.m. A musical which blends adolescent anxiety with fairy tales, LCS’s music teacher Ms Iltis and Camden Hills Regional High School Choir Alumna Ms. Murphy direct a talented cast of young Lincolnville actors.

As my own kids have moved on from LCS to CHRHS, I have noted the prominent roles Lincolnville kids tend to take in Camden Hills’ spectacular theatrical productions. Kids whose passion for the performing arts take them all over the world. To me, this is why we fund our schools. To help our kids discover their passions, wherever they may lie.

Congratulations, Mr. Depatsy

In one more bit of LCS news, congratulations to physical education teacher Nick DePatsy for his induction into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition to being my kids much loved PE teacher through their time at Lincolnville Central School, Mr. Depatsy has served as the long term coach of the boys basketball team at Medomak Valley High School. LCS and Medomak Valley is lucky to have you, Nick!

Library Happenings

Tuesday, March 17, join for Conscious Aging, a monthly supportive forum, at 1:30. Stay for needleworkers meet up, from 3 to 5 p.m. On Thursday, March 19, the library will welcome LCS students for afterschool activities from 3 to 5 p.m. And on Friday, March 20, there will be Mahjong from 12 to 2 p.m.

Finally, on Saturday March 21, at 10 a.m., author/illustrator Cassie Sano will be present to share her newest book, Peppermint, with our youngest residents. She will guide attending children in creating their own watercolor masterpieces.

We are at the far side of March and the wind has shifted. The snow melts, the air feels different, the birds are singing. The cats are restless.

Spring is waiting in the wings, just about ready to appear on stage.

Have a wonderful week, Lincolnville. We live in the most wonderful place in the world, though I may be a bit biased. Take care of it, take care of yourself, take care of your neighbor. Welcome the stranger. Reach out to me, as always, at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

Municipal Calendar

Tuesday, March 17

Library open 3-6 p.m. 208 Main Street

AA Meeting 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Wednesday, March 18

Library open 2-5 p.m.

School Committee Budget Workshop, 6 p.m. Walsh Common

Thursday, March 19

Library open 2-5 p.m. 208 Main Street

AA Beginner’s Meeting, 7 p.m., Lincolnville Historical Society, 33 Beach Road

Conservation Commission, 4 p.m. Town Office

Harbor Committee, 6 p.m., Town Office