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City of Portland unanimously passes $360M budget

Included in the budget was a 2.7-percent property tax increase for Portland residents.

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The Portland City Council held a final hearing and vote Monday night on the $360 million city budget.

The budget unanimously passed, resulting in a 3.8-percent tax increase for Portland residents.

Portland's valuation increased to $100 million, but it only results in an addition of $1.1 million in tax revenue, and that was consumed by contractual raises, pensions, county taxes and health insurance costs.

Cuts proposed were six positions in the police department, but they were jobs the police chief couldn’t fill with qualified applicants. Four firefighter positions were also eliminated but those firefighters will fill other vacancies within the department.

The $110 million school budget is 49 percent of the overall budget. There was a $5 million increase but the cuts being made there were within that increase. Cuts will be several teacher and other positions, but again we're told they were unfulfilled positions.

Mayor Ethan Strimling said Monday he would ask for several amendments to the budget.

"I'm looking to try to reinstate community policing," Mayor Strimling said. "I'm looking to increase some of the fees on our short-term rentals and some of the fees on our business community to reduce the burden on property taxpayers."

City Manager Jon Jennings said "if all the amendments pass and there are no further expenditure reductions, I think what you'll see, when both the school and the city have put together, you'll see a 3.8 to 3.9 percent overall property tax increase."

Jennings said that would be exceedingly high for residents. He also said this was an incredibly frustrating budget to work with and, moving forward, in order to grow the city and focus on infrastructure and other improvements, the city will have to look to independent or private investors.

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