Saco begins Fiscal Year 2026 budget deliberations

The combined Saco municipal and school FY 2026 proposed budgets, if passed, would be a 9 percent increase from the current year's budget.

Interim Finance Director Judy Belanger gave an overview of the budget proposal at last week’s city council meeting. The suggested total budget for FY 2026 is nearly $80.4 million, up about $6.7 million from the current year’s budget. Broken down – the proposed budget would be about $45.9 million for city expenditures, just over $32.9 million for school expenditures and about $1.5 million for county tax.

If the proposed budget is adopted as presented, it would increase the mil rate 15 cents to $14.20. A median home assessed at $420,000 would see a tax increase of $63 a year.

City Administrator John Bohenko has proposed four new positions in the new fiscal year. One of these positions would be a Deputy City Administrator of Community Development, which would oversee planning, codes, economic development and assessing. There would also be two firefighters/EMS beginning January 2026 and a new staff person in the parks and recreation department.

The facilities department will be shared between the city and the school.

Some suggested expenditures in the city’s capital plan are $300,000 for dredging, $250,000 for dune restoration and sand replenishment, $200,000 sheet pile wall installation at North and Main avenues, and $175,000 fire safety, parking lot and youth services space upgrades at Dyer Library.

The Saco school department is proposing adding 1.5 English Language Learner teachers,  3 new English Language Learner educational technicians, and an additional teacher at Young School, according to a budget presentation by Superintendent Jeremy Ray.

The budget will be discussed in a series of City Council meetings and the City Council will make a final vote on the budget on May 12. The school budget will then go through one more vote by at the June polls.

For more information on the proposed Saco FY 2026 budget, go to www.sacomaine.org/budget .

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.