I am a councilor on the Winthrop Town Council. I was just elected in March 2020 but never expected to experience the trauma and economic devastation caused by this COVID-19 pandemic. But here we are.

Unfortunately, I am going to have to oppose the proposed town budget currently before the Town Council that is due for a public hearing (if you can dial in via Zoom) and a vote on Monday, June 1. I have tried to get consensus for a zero-increase budget and for a delay in consideration of our budget until later this summer, when the revenue picture might be more apparent. But neither proposal has succeeded in getting a majority vote in prior budget meetings of the council.

The proposal is defective in two respects. First, it reflects an increase in spending. Two, it relies on projected revenues that are the same as last year, a projection that we know is incorrect in light of the lower state revenues and the probable reduction in excise taxes that every town will experience.

Winthrop’s budget last year was very high to reflect a prior accounting error. But the proposed budget for next year cannot, unfortunately, make up for the prior year’s belt tightening. Normally I might agree with some of the proposed expenditures. But even a modest increase in expenditures is not fair or reasonable this year, not in light of the vast increase in unemployment, closed local businesses, huge increases in food insecurity, and probable reductions in state revenue sharing.

The school board has proposed a 2.7% budget increase. The town will vote on that proposal on July 14.

Winthrop taxpayers can review the proposed town budget and express their views to the Town Council members at www.winthropmaine.org. The council has scheduled a vote to adopt this budget for June 1 at the regular 7 p.m. meeting.

Barbara Alexander
town councilor
Winthrop