Around 30 Boothbay Harbor residents attended the annual town meeting May 4 where they approved a $6,033,852 total budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Voters passed all 23 of the warrant articles, also approving several updates to town ordinances and a new parking plan with extended enforcement.  

According to town documents, the total budget represents a $473,513 (8.52%) increase from the previous one. From the total budget, the $3,937,219 municipal budget is a $288,818 (7.92%) increase from the previous year.  

Town Manager Julia Latter attributed increases to factors including inflation, labor costs, demand, and supply chain bottlenecks. “I did have to do a tremendous amount of sharpening my pencil, as they say, for the budget, even more than (in years) past ... because of such large increases overall presented to us for services, utilities, and supplies, impacting every industry, therefore impacting our overall cost of doing business.” 

Not included in the municipal budget, voters also approved a combined $2,096,633 for hydrants, sanitation and community support organizations including ambulance services and the library. The over $2 million represents a $184,695 (9.66%) increase from the previous year. Neither budget includes the school or county tax bills. 

Voters also approved using $1,711,633 in estimated revenues to reduce the property tax commitment. As part of that, Latter said the town allocated $450,000 from the undesignated fund balance to offset property taxes, the largest amount she had seen in her tenure of almost 30 years. Latter also said the town continues to put money towards capital improvement reserves.  

Some of the approved ordinance changes involved harbor policies and mooring rules, giving more time to make payments. Another made changes to how members can join the Board of Appeals. Chair Wendy Wolf said it largely was to remove term limits and better fill the board; that has been hard in the past.  

Of the changes, new rules for town parking were the most discussed. As reported in the Register, revisions included adding new terms for municipal parking lots and eliminating spaces from the ordinances that existed on paper but not on the streets. 

Most attention was paid to changes in enforced parking that extend hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and charge for parking on Sundays and holidays. In response to a resident's question, Police Chief Doug Snyder and Latter said they expect the extra hours will offset the labor cost to enforce them. Snyder said he projects the change will earn around $40,000 because charges are extended into peak parking hours, around 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

“You've got everyone getting off work, everyone that's coming in, our tourist stuff, it's dinner time,” he told the Register. “What do we have down here more than anything? Restaurants. So that peak time is then, and by increasing it, we should see a larger revenue.” 

However, community members expressed concern about the new rules. Linc Sample said charging for parking over Sundays and holidays hasn't happened since he was a kid. Kathie Stephenson said the extra hours would make it harder for young workers. “Now they're going to be taking two more hours of parking out of their pay that they're trying to work for college,” she said.  

Tom Minerich expressed concern that parking fees on Sundays and holidays could negatively impact the elderly and businesses.  

“With a small-business person, we may be making a few more dollars on one side, but people aren't going to come down and shop or they don't want to spend the money for parking,” he said. “And now that affects the community. And I think that's something we have to think about. And also think about the elderly who come down here, that's just one more dollar out of their pocket.” 

Snyder said the parking fees, currently at $2 an hour, are not being increased and he does not anticipate the extra $4 to hurt people. Some residents were in favor of the new rules. 

“I appreciate the intent to increase revenue in the face of the rising tax budget of 8 to 9%, and I don't think that we're going to suffer from anyone coming down,” said Mary Neal. “I don't think that that is going to detract from people using our parking. I haven't ever seen that to be a problem. So, I appreciate the attempt to raise more revenue with the rising tax. I'm just sorry that that's not a $400,000 increase in the parking revenue fees.” 

Latter noted there are businesses downtown who charge for parking. According to her, when the town’s spaces are free, that takes away revenue from businesses. Selectman Ken Rayle, it would be hard to find a town that didn't charge for parking on Sundays and Boothbay Harbor would be remiss not to look at opportunities to increase revenue. “These parking areas are assets of the town, and I believe we have a fiduciary responsibility to make those assets productive,” he said.