ROCKLAND, Maine — Commissioners got a first look Tuesday afternoon on the preliminary draft of the 2027 Knox County budget that increases spending by more than 10%.
The amount of property taxes and communication fees to be assessed to the communities under this first draft would increase by more than 10%.
County officials stressed after the meeting that the numbers were very preliminary. The proposed budget will be sent to the Budget Committee and municipal officials next week. The commissioners and Budget Committee are scheduled to meet 5 p.m. on Feb. 5.
The first review of the 2027 budget comes five months after the 2026 budget was approved following a lengthy saga that delayed enactment for five months because of a lack of Budget Committee members.
The preliminary draft of the Knox County budget is nearly $18 million, up 7% from the approved 2026 budget of $16.8 million.
And the communications budget is proposed at $2.5 million, a 16% increase. The fees are divided among the communities, not by property valuations as the general budget is funded, but by the populations of the communities.
There are also nearly $6 million in airport projects proposed for 2027.
The largest expenditure in the draft budget is corrections at nearly $6.9 million. The department operates the holding facility in Rockland. Inmates sentenced to jail or held after their initial appearance are held at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
The corrections budget is an increase of about $100,000 from the 2026 budget. The largest expense is $3.4 million paid to Two Bridges.
The sheriff patrol budget is proposed at $4.7 million for 2027, up from $4.4 million in 2026.
The preliminary draft called for no staffing changes for the department, but commissioners asked that money be included for two more deputy positions. The added cost of that would be $509,000, which covers salaries, benefits, cruisers and other equipment needed for additional officers, such as firearms.
The patrol budget also includes money for new firearms, the first change in 10 years, Chief Deputy Curt Andrick told commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting.
Commissioner Marc Ratner noted that Camden pays the most in county taxes and that some people point out that the town has its own department. But, he said, towns chose to have their own departments, but the sheriff’s department is the legislative police department in the county.
He said communities with their own department, such as Camden, Rockland and Thomaston, do not deserve breaks in their county tax bills because the county is the legislatively approved department.
Budget Committee member Doug Erickson of Thomaston was in attendance at the meeting and said towns can no longer go down the road of higher costs and said there is a need for one county department.
Andrick said any move in that direction would need to come from the towns.
Ratner believes towns will see they can save money from such a move.
The overall county budget increase is due to wage increases, some that are still being negotiated with employee unions, health insurance increases of 9% and fuel cost hikes.
The airport budget is proposed at $1.3 million, up from $1.1 million.
The building maintenance budget is proposed at nearly $1.2 million, up from $900,000.
The administration budget is proposed at $679,000, up from $614,000.
The district attorney budget is proposed at $589,000, down from $592,000. The costs for the attorneys in the department are not in the county budget in the state budget.
The probate budget is proposed at $442,000, up from $412,000. The department is budgeted to bring in $193,000 in revenues.
The Registry of Deeds budget is proposed at $321,000 but will be more than offset with $573,000 in projected revenues.
The information technology budget is proposed at $576,000, up from $521,000.
The Finance Department Budget is proposed at $576,000, up from $521,000.
And the Emergency Management Agency budget is proposed at $294,000, up from $271,000 with revenues estimated at $72,000.
If the budget is approved as proposed in the preliminary draft:
— Camden would pay $3 million, an increase of $300,000
— Rockland would pay $2.1 million, an increase of $219,000
— Rockport would pay $2.1 million, an increase of $209,000
— St. George would pay $1.9 million, an increase of $192,000
— Warren would pay $1 million, an increase of $109,000
— Vinalhaven would pay $955,000, an increase of $95,000
— Thomaston would pay $920,000, an increase of $96,000
— Owls Head would pay $879,000, an increase of $88,000
— South Thomaston would pay $678,000, an increase of $69,000
— Union would pay $712,000, an increase of $75,000
— Cushing would pay $704,000, an increase of $71,000
— North Haven would pay $699,000, an increase of $68,000
— Friendship would pay $664,000, an increase of $66,000
— Hope will pay $586,000, an increase of $60,000
— Washington would pay $430,000, an increase of $45,000
— Appleton would pay $360,000, an increase of $38,000
— Isle au Haut would pay $109,000, an increase of $11,000
— Matinicus Island would pay $46,000, an increase of $4,000
The county tax is based on the state property valuation of each municipality with the higher valued towns paying more.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.