12 3 Forty Years Later, Acadia's Biggest Supporters Aren't Slowing Down. The Next 40 Years Begin Now for Friends of Acadia.
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Forty Years Later, Acadia’s Biggest Supporters Aren’t Slowing Down.

The Next 40 Years Begin Now for Friends of Acadia. Carrie Jones Jul 10, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop. BAR HARBOR—Forty years after a handful of Mount Desert Island residents created Friends of Acadia to help a cash-strapped Acadia National Park, the conservation nonprofit marked its anniversary Thursday by celebrating decades of accomplishments while urging the community to … Continue reading Forty Years Later, Acadia’s Biggest Supporters Aren’t Slowing Down.

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Tremont Select Board Thanks the Volunteers Behind Tremont's Biggest Weekend. The board also approved road repairs, Bernard Wharf parking improvements, and some town appointments.
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The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Maine Seacoast Mission. TREMONT—Three days of sun and fun summarizes this year’s Backside Blast event in Tremont but it does not even begin to tell the story of how that celebration of community came to fruition this summer. “This year’s Bass Harbor Lobster Boat Races and Backside Blast were a massive success,” Town Manager Jesse Dunbar … Continue reading

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To Continue a Lodging Moratorium or to Not Continue a Lodging Moratorium? That continues to be the Bar Harbor Town Council's Question.
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To Continue a Lodging Moratorium or to Not Continue a Lodging Moratorium?

That continues to be the Bar Harbor Town Council’s Question. Carrie Jones Jul 09, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Thrive Juice Bar & Kitchen. BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor’s moratorium on the development of hotels and inns ends July 27. However, at the Bar Harbor Town Council workshop, July 7, discussion circled about possibly extending that halt on building or renovating transient accommodations again. … Continue reading To Continue a Lodging Moratorium or to Not Continue a Lodging Moratorium?

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Mount Desert Heads for a New Assessment Carrie Jones Jul 08, 2026 a house made out of money on a white background Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Bank. MOUNT DESERT—All taxable real estate owners in the town of Mount Desert will have their property reassessed. “It’s been almost twenty years since we’ve done that,” Assessor Kyle Avila told Mount Desert Selectboard members, July 6. When a town reassesses a property, it determines the “assessed value” of a property, which isn’t quite the same as a “market value,” which is the likely price someone will pay for your property if it’s for sale. A property’s assessment impacts its tax bill. It basically determines your property tax liability. For the sort of assessment that Mount Desert is about to undergo, it means that people will come to homes, take photos, and take exterior measurements. They will also ask property owners questions. “There’s two real classes of property that are sort of falling through the cracks that we need to capture. It’s the really uh less valuable homes that aren’t maintained that I don’t know about. You know, they’re not only permits or anything and those homes are becoming depreciated. And so we need to capture that and recognize that those valuations may be high um and adjust them accordingly,” Avila explained. State law requires towns to keep the assessment ratio of properties above 70% and below 110%, he explained to the board. If a town isn’t in that ratio, it impacts state subsidies. Those subsidies help support portions of school budgets. Property taxes are based on assessments and the town’s budget and mill rates. It wasn’t just the homes that have lower monetary value that were “falling through the cracks,” Avila explained. “The other end of that spectrum are the really nice properties where they’ve been doing renovations, maintenance that doesn’t require permits and so I’m not aware of those either. So there are houses that have been almost completely renovated, but I haven’t been able to go and reassess them because they’re sort of flying under radar. So those are the real uh big reasons to do the reval,” Avila said. Avila came to town in 2007 right around the time of the last full assessment of this sort. Since then, he’s done proactive statistical assessments, but not a full measure and list revaluation. “It’s been almost twenty years since we’ve done that,” Avila said. “So, it's a big project and this is something that is uh typically done every 10 to 15 years.” David MacDonald praised Avila’s attention and work that’s prevented having to do this sort of project. It will cost the town $227,800 in a contract with Vision Government Solutions Inc. (VGSI), but the money is already in the budget. "One of the things I think everyone who’s been around for a while should pat themselves on the back for is that we added this into the CIP plan a bunch of years ago gradually building up the money for the day that this would arrive, and then, thanks to Kyle’s work and to them, this is coming in on budget. So there’s no additional taxes that needs to get raised for us to be able to do this. So this isn’t going to have any impact on there because we’ve already raised money for it. And so hats off past versions of yourselves came in at the end of this, but it’s really nice,” said Town Manager Alex Kimball. The town received just one bid after it sent a formal request for proposals (RFP) on May 11, 2026. “One bid was received by the deadline on June 30, 2026,” Avila explained in the memo. The work will being in spring, 2027 with data collection and market sales analysis. The field data, where contracted employees go out to properties will then occur. “Updated valuations will then be presented to the assessor for review in early 2028. Once accepted by the assessor, notification letters will be sent to property owners in the Spring of 2028,” Avila said. People can dispute the findings if they choose to. “Informal hearings and final adjustments will be completed prior to July 1, 2028,” Avila explained. Martha Dudman said a public forum before the visit starts would be helpful so that people who want to can come and ask questions. “You can’t publicize this enough. You have to, the more you talk about this the better it goes. It’s sort of this universal straight line,” Kimball said. “The towns that put in more time had an easier time. The towns that tried to talk about it less always had ways of people getting upset.” Other towns, such as Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor, have had residents worry over assessments. “It does happen all the time with communities where the results come back and everyone’s got sticker shock because things have changed drastically,” Kimball said. “More often than not, those are communities that have changed assessors three times in the interim, went six months without one, tried to go to some private company, then changed mind again, and they fell behind on it. That hasn’t occurred here.” According to Wallet Hub, Maine has the fifth highest property tax burden in the country. AUDIT The town will continue its auditing with James Wadman, out of Ellsworth. There are new timelines for the coming year. APPOINTMENTS The board appointed Durlin Lunt to the Housing Authority to serve from July 6, 2026 – March, 2031. The board appointed Jesse Hartson to fill one of the vacant seats on the MDIHS Board of Trustees until the May 3, 2027 Town Meeting. LIQUOR LICENSE RENEWALS The board renewed the liquor license of Michael Boland/Choco-Latte, Inc. doing business as Copita at 102 Main St., Northeast Harbor. It also renewed the liquor license of Katherine M. Conley doing business as Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant at 12 Main Street, Seal Harbor. It also renewed the liquor license of 14 Sea Street doing business as The Docksider at 14 Sea Street, Northeast Harbor. SECURITY CAMERA, ROAD STRIPING AND STORMWATER BASIN The board approved paying Omega Security Group $5,915 for the addition of a security camera system at the Seal Harbor Pier. It also reviewed and approved a contract with On The Line, Inc. for annual road striping in an amount not to exceed $15,000. It tabled a contract with Clarke Construction for the installation of a stormwater catch basin for $336,930. LINKS TO LEARN MORE Meeting agenda HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.
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Mount Desert Heads for a New Assessment

Carrie Jones Jul 08, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Bank. MOUNT DESERT—All taxable real estate owners in the town of Mount Desert will have their property reassessed. “It’s been almost twenty years since we’ve done that,” Assessor Kyle Avila told Mount Desert Selectboard members, July 6. When a town reassesses a property, it determines the “assessed value” of a property, … Continue reading Mount Desert Heads for a New Assessment

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Bar Harbor Council Votes to Limit Local Cooperation With ICE Citizen-initiated measure passes 5-1 after supporters argue it closes gaps left by state law.
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Bar Harbor Council Votes to Limit Local Cooperation With ICE

Citizen-initiated measure passes 5-1 after supporters argue it closes gaps left by state law. Carrie Jones Jul 08, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden. BAR HARBOR—The Town Council has approved a citizens’ initiated ordinance that prohibits any potential town officials’ relationship with federal immigration enforcement, ICE. The petition, entitled “Defining the Relationship Between Town Officials and Federal Immigration … Continue reading Bar Harbor Council Votes to Limit Local Cooperation With ICE

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Bar Harbor May Offer Residents Two Hours of Free Weekly Downtown Parking, Higher Rates for Everyone Else. Proposal would give residents two hours of free downtown parking each week while increasing hourly rates, extending the paid parking season, and creating a fund for future transportation improvements.
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Bar Harbor May Offer Residents Two Hours of Free Weekly Downtown Parking, Higher Rates for Everyone Else.

Proposal would give residents two hours of free downtown parking each week while increasing hourly rates, extending the paid parking season, and creating a fund for future transportation improvements. Carrie Jones Jul 08, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Geddy’s. BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor residents might soon have two free hours of paid parking in downtown each week via a “coupon” policy run through … Continue reading Bar Harbor May Offer Residents Two Hours of Free Weekly Downtown Parking, Higher Rates for Everyone Else.

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Local police reports and crime in Mount Desert Island
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Lost Children, Loose Animals, and Multiple Arrests Helped Keep Police Busy Last Week

Police updates for Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, Tremont, State Police, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. Shaun Farrar Jul 07, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Coastal Kayaking Tours and Acadia Bike. BAR HARBOR—It wasn’t just festivities keeping the police busy this past week as officers dealt with multiple reports of lost children who were quickly found, loose animals who all eventually … Continue reading Lost Children, Loose Animals, and Multiple Arrests Helped Keep Police Busy Last Week

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A 255-Foot Yacht Left for Bar Harbor. Now Some in Southwest Harbor and Dysart's Marina Want Answers. Why Southwest Harbor Lost One of the World's Largest Sailing Yachts.
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A 255-Foot Yacht Left for Bar Harbor. Now Some in Southwest Harbor and Dysart’s Marina Want Answers.

Why Southwest Harbor Lost One of the World’s Largest Sailing Yachts. Carrie Jones Jul 07, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Viridian Law. SOUTHWEST HARBOR— Last week’s arrival—and departure—of the mega yacht M5 has led to some discord in Southwest Harbor, lost revenue for a local marina, and a full audience at the town’s Harbor Committee meeting, Monday. “I assume most people are … Continue reading A 255-Foot Yacht Left for Bar Harbor. Now Some in Southwest Harbor and Dysart’s Marina Want Answers.

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MDI Towns Continue to Add Homes, but State Data Shows the Scale of Maine's Challenge Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Trenton Lead MDI Building Permits in 2025
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MDI Towns Continue to Add Homes, but State Data Shows the Scale of Maine’s Challenge

Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Trenton Lead MDI Building Permits in 2025 Jul 06, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Music Festival. MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION—Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Trenton issued more residential building permits than any other communities in the Mount Desert Island region during 2025, according to Maine’s first statewide housing production survey. While the numbers suggest homebuilding … Continue reading MDI Towns Continue to Add Homes, but State Data Shows the Scale of Maine’s Challenge

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THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK. And in the near future.
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THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK.

And in the near future. Carrie Jones Jul 06, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware. THINGS TO DO It’s our weekly round-up, and we may have missed some things, so apologies! If you have something you’d like in here, please let us know. We hope you have some great adventures this week! To check out our news stories and briefs … Continue reading THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK.

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