Brewer leaders want to bring more businesses to Brewer, but a looming tax hike may make it more difficult.
Brewer Mayor Jenn Morin and Deputy Mayor Bill Kimball were elected to their positions by fellow councilors on Nov. 18. Morin, who has previously served as mayor, said there aren’t any set goals for the upcoming council year yet but that she wants to bring more businesses to Brewer to keep taxes low.
The Brewer City Council has no newcomers after two incumbents, Councilors Soubanh Phanthay and Michele Daniels, ran uncontested in November. But the council will have new leadership in Morin and Kimball, who both said councilors’ experience will help the city through difficult upcoming decisions — including navigating a possible nearly 20% tax hike from Penobscot County — while working to grow the city.
The Penobscot County Budget Advisory Committee will meet Dec. 11 to continue discussing the county budget, which still needs to be approved. The committee’s November meeting was adjourned before a final vote was taken.
Committee members can bring any section back to a vote, even if it was approved previously, County Commissioner Andre Cushing said.
Morin, who sits on the committee with fellow Brewer Councilor Dani O’Halloran, said Brewer is going to work with the county to try to implement a new budget process that’s similar to Brewer’s, increase transparency and hold county commissioners accountable.
“There are many factors that weigh into the Penobscot County budget. It really has the potential to significantly impact all 55 communities within Penobscot, so we’ve got to figure out a way that we’re going to be the best team player possible,” Morin said.
The jail budget is “one of the biggest challenges, but not the only challenge” the county is facing, Morin said. That’s why she said there needs to be support for building a new jail, which would eliminate some ongoing costs.
Brewer’s city spending stayed flat last year, meaning taxpayers saw hikes from the county and school budgets. The county budget accounted for 47% of last year’s tax growth, Morin said.
Some of Brewer’s projects that have been in the works may be hampered by the county’s budget crisis. A new fire truck that has been planned for years might not be possible after Brewer “tightens our belts” in its own spending, Morin said.
Regardless, Brewer needs to find a way to keep taxes low while bringing in new businesses, Morin said.
“We really don’t want to have to keep increasing taxes,” Morin said.
Brewer is working toward “responsible growth” that fits in with each neighborhood’s characteristics, Kimball said, but county spending is a roadblock in how Brewer can grow while being responsible to its taxpayers,
“It’s a big challenge for us now to try to figure out how to accommodate for a potential big budget increase on the county side, but also keep taxes low on our side without losing services,” Kimball said.
One service that Kimball said should be looked at for expansion is recovery programs.
Jail recovery services are “instrumental” in solving the addiction problem in Brewer, he said. Funding recovery programs in the jail to be more effective can fix addiction problems across the county.
There are also opportunities for programs in the city, like Bangor Area Recovery Network, to potentially receive more funding, but the council will have to look closely at spending, Kimball said.
Looking for solutions will be easier for this council because of how well its members work together, said Kimball, who was first elected to the council in 2023.
“We don’t always agree on everything, but we all have Brewer’s best interest in mind, which is, I think, very unique for an area like this,” Kimball said.
