Council and Warrant Committee Discuss Bar Harbor's Proposed School Budget

Council and Warrant Committee Discuss Bar Harbor’s Proposed School Budget

Carrie Jones Jan 29, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware. BAR HARBOR—School Superintendent Mike Zboray, Conners Emerson Principal Dr. Heather Weir Webster, and AOS Business Manager Nancy Thurlow presented the Conners Emerson budget to town councilors and warrant committee members, January 28. Zboray handed out a budget fact sheet that detailed each piece of the budget that would be … Continue reading Council and Warrant Committee Discuss Bar Harbor’s Proposed School Budget

Mount Desert Warrant Committee Elects New Officers, Begins Work Jerry Miller and Owen Craighead continue on committee, but steps down from officer positions

Mount Desert Warrant Committee Elects New Officers, Begins Work

Jerry Miller and Owen Craighead continue on committee, but step down from officer positions Carrie Jones Jan 10, 2025 MOUNT DESERT—The Mount Desert Warrant Committee began its work for the upcoming budget season and town warrant, January 7. “We don’t want to rubber stamp the board of selectman. We want to be the scrutinizers of all the articles,” Chair Phil Lichtenstein said of the 20-member … Continue reading Mount Desert Warrant Committee Elects New Officers, Begins Work

Bar Harbor Town Council and School Board Hold Special Meeting Next Tuesday

Warrant Committee Reorganizes Itself CARRIE JONES JUL 05, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—A duo of recently announced meetings involve the Bar Harbor School Board next week. The board will first hold an executive session at the superintendent’s office on Monday at 4:30 p.m. about the “acquisition and use of real property and economic development.” According to Maine law, executive sessions are allowed for certain reasons and are … Continue reading Bar Harbor Town Council and School Board Hold Special Meeting Next Tuesday

Bar Harbor Warrant Committee Recommends Budget, Land Use Amendments

Likely last meeting for Chair Seth Libby and Ezra Sassaman CARRIE JONES APR 11, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—After multiple meetings throughout all of February and March, including subcommittees and full committees, the Warrant Committee concluded its recommendations to voters about articles on the town’s warrant and budget. It was likely the last Warrant Committee meeting for both Chair Seth Libby and member Ezra Sassaman. Both … Continue reading Bar Harbor Warrant Committee Recommends Budget, Land Use Amendments

Bar Harbor Council Raises a Few Fees

Parking Fees Were Not Raised by Council, Still Recommended by Warrant Committee CARRIE JONES MAR 26, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—Town Manager James Smith cautioned the Bar Harbor Council to not depend on parking revenue to help alleviate the town’s property owners’ burden on the proposed budget, which is a 15% increase from last year’s. Portions of that increase come from increased budgets from the high … Continue reading Bar Harbor Council Raises a Few Fees

With Six Abstentions Potential Short-Term Rental Ordinance Recommended by Warrant Committee

Most Warrant Articles Recommended Without Discussion SHAUN FARRAR MAR 21, 2024 Share MOUNT DESERT—Fifteen members of Mount Desert’s twenty-member Warrant Committee finalized the committee’s voting process to recommend, or not, the town’s warrant articles, which will be approved, or not approved, by town voters in early May. The committee approved the warrant articles out of order because there were speakers present to answer potential questions … Continue reading With Six Abstentions Potential Short-Term Rental Ordinance Recommended by Warrant Committee

Facing a 20% Tax Increase, Bar Harbor Council Makes No Changes: Yet

Council tackles “big and heavy and hard” budget CARRIE JONES MAR 5, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Town Council quickly adopted a tentative municipal budget with expenditures of $28,023,0499 at its Monday night meeting, which (excluding an executive session) lasted approximately an hour. For revenues, the tentative March 5 budget calls for $13,397,226 in “other revenues,” $411,712 in cruise ship funds, and $455,976 in … Continue reading Facing a 20% Tax Increase, Bar Harbor Council Makes No Changes: Yet

Warrant Committee Makes Its Recommendations to Lower 20% Tax Rate Hike

Suggests increased parking funds to pay for new school, multiple 7% cuts, no immediate funding for Higgins Pit solar array CARRIE JONES FEB 28, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—During a joint Tuesday night meeting, the Warrant Committee submitted three pages of recommendations to the Town Council as it creates the budget for the next fiscal year meant to alleviate a potential 20% tax rate increase for … Continue reading Warrant Committee Makes Its Recommendations to Lower 20% Tax Rate Hike

Warrant Committee Recommends Not Funding Higgins Pit Solar Array, Tweaks Library Funding Recommendation, Using Parking Money To Help With School Bond

Warrant Committee and Town Council Meet Tonight To Talk Budget CARRIE JONES FEB 27, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—The Warrant Committee met for over six and a half hours Monday night, ending just before 1 a.m. Tuesday morning. During that marathon meeting, the committee members waded through the budget recommendations that it will give to the Town Council this evening, February 27. “We set a record,” … Continue reading Warrant Committee Recommends Not Funding Higgins Pit Solar Array, Tweaks Library Funding Recommendation, Using Parking Money To Help With School Bond

Briefs: Early Release Days and New School Calendar, New ArtWaves Director, Library Posts Letter About $330,000 Budget Ask

Quahogs, razor clams, eastern oysters, and hen clams may be added to Bar Harbor ordinance, Trail Running Film Festival Coming to Bar Harbor CARRIE JONES AND  SHAUN FARRAR FEB 23, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—We’ve collated a few press releases and briefer stories below. NEW SCHOOL CALENDAR STILL EVOLVING! BAR HARBOR—The AOS 91 Regular Board Meeting on February 12 focused on the ongoing creation of next … Continue reading Briefs: Early Release Days and New School Calendar, New ArtWaves Director, Library Posts Letter About $330,000 Budget Ask