More than 1,700 purchases for items ranging from spices to computer software were made on Penobscot County credit cards in 2025 amid a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.
In total, department heads, county commissioners and the county administrator spent more than $350,000 on Penobscot County-issued credit cards last year, according to records obtained by the Bangor Daily News through a Freedom of Access Act request. The majority of those purchases were paid for through property tax revenue, though some were reimbursed through Department of Homeland Security grants or other outside funding.
The receipts provide a snapshot of how Penobscot County leaders allowed a permissive spending culture even as some knew it was facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. While the amount spent on credit cards is a small portion of the county’s $35 million budget, it highlights a lack of spending policies and inability to reel in unnecessary costs at the time.
See the full list of purchases made on Penobscot County credit cards last year below.