Brunswick Town Manager Proposes $44.52 Million Municipal Budget for 2026-27

Town Manager Julia Henze presented a $44.52 million preliminary municipal budget for fiscal year 2026-27 on March 9, setting in motion a weeks-long public process that will ultimately determine how much Brunswick property owners pay in taxes starting July 1. Municipal expenses in the proposal are up $2.5 million, or 5.8%, compared to the prior year. If the municipal budget passes as proposed, it would raise taxes by nearly 4% on its own — but that figure represents only one piece of a larger fiscal picture that won't be complete until the school board weighs in.

The full tax picture is still taking shape

The early overall budget, combining municipal, county, and what is currently known about school spending, totals $104.7 million and carries a projected 4.4% tax increase. That number breaks down into distinct layers: municipal services account for about 3.94% of the projected tax impact, while the county budget contributes an additional 0.45%. But the most consequential figure is still missing from the ledger. The school department has not yet presented its budget to the Town Council, and its initial proposal, as currently planned, would raise taxes by an additional 5%. As the Portland Press Herald has noted, education expenses are typically the largest contributor to Brunswick's final budget, which means the 4.4% early estimate could climb substantially before the process concludes.

Property valuation remains an open variable

The draft budget also carries a significant caveat: it assumes no change in property valuation while the town assessor completes a calculation of how new growth will affect the tax rate. Town Manager Julia Henze addressed this directly, noting that the draft "includes no change in the property valuation until the town assessor calculates the impact that new growth will have on the tax rate." New growth — meaning new construction and development added to the tax rolls — can offset some of the rate increase by expanding the taxable base. Until that figure is finalized, Brunswick residents should treat any projected tax percentage as a working estimate subject to revision.

A detailed schedule of public presentations runs through April

The Town of Brunswick has published a full schedule of department presentations leading up to the formal public hearing, giving residents multiple opportunities to see how individual departments justify their spending requests. Public Works and Engineering present on March 23. The Town Clerk and Economic Development departments follow on March 30. On April 9, the Council will receive the Manager's Proposed 2026-27 Budget alongside presentations from Parks and Recreation and the Brunswick Downtown Association. The school department, whose budget carries the most weight for property owners, presents its recommendations on April 13, alongside Western Maine Transportation.

All sessions are scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the full presentation schedule, along with supporting documents, is posted on Brunswick's annual budget page on the town website.

The public hearing covers the budget and capital planning

The formal public hearing is set for April 23 at 6:30 p.m. and will cover both the 2026-27 budget and the 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The CIP addresses longer-range infrastructure and investment priorities, making the April 23 session a particularly substantive opportunity for public input. Under Brunswick's Town Charter, the Council must hold this hearing at least seven days before adopting the budget. The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, and the Charter requires the Council to adopt a finalized budget no later than June 15.

Two separate votes determine the final outcome

The Brunswick Town Council is slated to vote on the municipal budget on May 11. That vote will set appropriations for town departments, offices, and other municipal purposes, and the adopted budget will establish the basis for the property tax rate. School department spending, however, follows a different path: those expenditures must ultimately be approved by voters in June, separate from the Council's municipal adoption vote. The manager's proposed budget is available now on the Town of Brunswick website, and residents looking to track the process can find the full meeting calendar and budget documents on Brunswick's annual budget page.

The numbers will continue to shift over the coming weeks as the school department presents its figures, the assessor completes the new-growth calculation, and departments make their case before the Council. The April 13 school presentation will be a pivotal moment in understanding what Brunswick taxpayers can ultimately expect to see on their bills.