Residents of Bremen will elect officers and consider a budget of $1.8 million at their annual town meeting and municipal election on Saturday, June 28.
The budget totals $1,810,200 as proposed, an increase of $495,590 or 37.69%. Residents will also vote earlier in the day on whether to validate the inaugural RSU 48 budget and elect municipal officers at their municipal election.
The hike in the municipal budget is due to several increasing budget items. One of the biggest increases is the roads and bridges budget, which totals $574,393, an increase of $79,525 or 16.0% as proposed.
Within that category, the budget committee recommended $225,000 for road maintenance and repairs, an increase of $11,000, or 5.14% from last year. According to Bremen Town Clerk Melanie Pendleton, the increase is due to the fact that the town is working on resurfacing roads.
There is also an increase in the snow removal budget. The proposed total is $329,393, an increase of $68,525, or 26.26% from the previous year.
The proposed budget for town officers’ salaries and benefits totals $250,000, an increase of $20,000, or 8.6%. The proposed administration budget is $154,000, a $10,250 or 7.13% increase from last year.
Other increases in this budget category include budget line items such as a proposed total of $24,000 for Federal Insurance Contributions Act payroll tax contributions, an increase of $2,000, or 8.33% over last year; and $22,000 for code enforcement, an increase of $1,000, or 4.76%.
The warrant also features proposed increases for benefits. Health benefits are proposed at $15,000, an increase of $500, or 3.44%; and retirement benefits are proposed at $4,300, an increase of $500, or 13.15%.
The total for the town’s operating accounts budget is $150,050, an increase of $6,950, or 4.85% as proposed. The biggest increase is for a new accounting system and computer license which has a total of $16,000, an increase of $2,250, or 16.63%.
Other proposed increases include $38,000 for repair and maintenance, an increase of $3,000 or 8.57%; $7,500 for office equipment and IT services, an increase of $500, or 7.14%; and $4,000 for office supplies, an increase of $500, or 14.28%.
The budget for professional services is proposed at $47,600, an increase of $1,300 or 2.80%. The town auditor budget is $11,000, an $800 increase, or 7.84%; and the consultant/grant writer budget is $2,500, an increase of $500, or 25%, as proposed.
The budget for the operating expenses of town committees is $25,650, a decrease of $4,500, or 14.92% as proposed. The decrease is due to the Bremen Broadband Committee budget asking for $5,000, a decrease of $5,000 or 50% from their request last year.
The will also vote to raise a sum of money to go to the Bremen Library. The Board of Selectmen recommended $15,000 while the Budget Committee suggested $20,000.
There was also a discrepancy in how much money the select board and budget committee recommended for charitable contributions. The Bremen Board of Selectmen and budget committee recommended $27,342, an increase of $7,713 or 39.3% over last year. Increases are found in the suggested contribution of $7,500 for the Central Lincoln County YMCA, which residents did not fund last year, and $1660 for New Hope Midcoast, an increase of $166 from last year’s funded amount. The budget committee and select board both recommended those increases. The only charitable organization on the ballot that the select board and budget committee voted against funding is Veggies to Table, which requested $1,000.
The Board of Selectmen recommended $10,000 to fund a Legal Reserve Account. This is a $5,000, or 50% increase from last year.
The town will also vote to raise a sum of money for the Selectmen for Hepatitis B vaccinations required by OSHA for all Firemen and First Responders. The Board of Selectman recommends $800.
Along with voting on the municipal budget, Bremen residents vote on whether or not to validate RSU 48’s $13.1 million budget. In May, voters from Newcastle, Damariscotta, and Bremen approved the budget’s $13,162,140 total, which includes a $698,694.95 or 5.61% increase from their combined 2025 education expenses.
Damariscotta and Newcastle validated the budget at the polls June 10.
In municipal elections Thomas Papell is running uncontested for a three-year term for the Bremen Select Board.
David Osier is running uncontested for a three-year term on the Bremen school committee.
Justin Stailey and incumbent Mark Tenney are running for one of two three-year terms on the planning board. There are currently no candidates up for election for the alternate seat on the planning board.
The race for one three year term on the Bremen Harbor Committee is contested, with both Dale Witham and Melanee Osier-Gilbert running for the open seat. Witham did not return a request for an interview and Osier-Gilbert declined to comment.
Bremen’s polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, at 208 Waldoboro Road. The open town meeting will follow at 2 p.m. at the Bremen Fire Station, at 568 Waldoboro Road.
For more information, go to bremenmaine.org or call 529-5945.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
