Brewer residents will see higher property tax bills despite the city’s tax rate falling to a 30-year low.
The Brewer City Council approved an $18.4 million budget on Tuesday, which is up by more than $620,000 from last year’s budget. The majority of the difference comes from salary increases and health insurance costs, which are up $436,000 and $240,000 respectively.
However, the city has lowered its property tax rate for the fifth consecutive year and now has a $15.40 tax rate, the lowest in 30 years. That rate, which is decided through municipal, county and school budgets, means a home worth $200,000 would receive a tax bill of $3,080 and a home worth $400,000 would pay $6,160.
The increase seen in resident’s tax bills comes from the combination of a 26 percent increase in property values following a new property assessment in 2024 and an 18 percent decrease in property tax rates.
Other increases include an $82,000, or 18 percent, increase in the costs for the Community Connector, the public bus service that serves Bangor, Brewer, Orono, Hampden, Old Town, Veazie and the University of Maine, and a more than $180,000 increase in fire department funding because of salary increases and the upkeep of ageing trucks, the city said.
Brewer councilors also approved the school department’s new $29.5 million budget, a 3.2 percent increase from the previous budget.
The larger budget stems from an increase in salary and benefit costs along with two upcoming projects. The school will build a new public restroom at the Brewer High School Athletic Complex and remove the old Brewer High School tennis courts to repurpose the area into 60 additional parking spaces.