Brunswick taxpayers blast proposed tax hike, demand spending cuts and accountability

Brunswick taxpayers Chris Thacker and Chris Teal turned public comment into a sharp rebuke of the town’s proposed 2026-27 budget, denouncing the 5.52% tax-rate increase and demanding zero hikes as household costs climb across Sagadahoc County. Using Brunswick’s own 2025 budget example as a benchmark, the new proposal points toward roughly $460 more on a home assessed at $350,000, a steeper hit than the about $245 increase tied to last year’s 2.94% hike.

Town Manager Julia Henze presented the proposal on April 9, laying out $101,966,578 in expenditures and other uses. The plan includes a municipal net property-tax contribution of $25,356,522, a school share of $38,801,520 and a county assessment of $2,564,217. The town’s presentation said every $626,000 in budget adjustments equals about 1% on the tax rate, while a projected 1% increase in valuation to $4,782,957,656 would soften part of the impact.

The school budget has been the central flashpoint. Brunswick School Department adopted a roughly $61.2 million budget after trimming nearly $2 million from the superintendent’s original recommendation, bringing the school portion of the tax impact down to 2.89% from a proposal that would have pushed the property-tax rate up by just over 5%. The school board eliminated eight positions, cut more than $191,000 in supplies and professional services, and removed another $263,000 from projects and facilities maintenance. Even with those cuts, school officials have said more annual reductions may not be sustainable.

The backlash lands in a town where education remains the largest spending category, accounting for more than half the total budget. Brunswick’s 2025 budget totaled $101.97 million and carried a 2.94% property-tax-rate increase, during a revaluation year that affected the tax calculation as property values shifted townwide. That earlier package translated into about a $245 increase on a home assessed at $350,000, a figure now being used by critics to show how quickly the burden is rising.

Under Brunswick’s charter, the town manager must submit a budget by May 1, the council must hold a public hearing at least seven days before adoption, and final approval is due by June 15. With residents pressing for deeper cuts and officials warning that inflation, insurance, staffing and capital needs are already tight, the council now faces a budget fight that will decide how much more Brunswick homeowners pay this year.