Budget Committee Meeting Minutes - 2026-05-04

BUDGET COMMITTEE - Meeting Minutes for 5/4/26

Present:​   Neil Berry, Phyllis Brannon, Donna Church, Marc Derr,
            Jill Gastonguay, Alan Purinton, Milt Simon, Jeff Wakeman

Meeting called to order at 6:30 p.m. inside the Durham Fire Station Meeting Room

General discussion took place regarding Selectboard’s proposed 2027 budget for General Government, Public Safety, and Public Works. No votes were taken.

Voting took place regarding the following Articles expected to be included in this year’s Town Warrant:

Motion made by A. Purinton, 2nd by Jeff Wakeman … to see if the town will raise & appropriate $624,111 for Debt Service. Motion passed 8-0.

Motion made by A. Purinton, 2nd by Neil Berry … to see if the town will raise & appropriate $90,000 for Fire Dept. Capital Reserve. Motion failed 3-5.

Motion made by A. Purinton, 2nd by P. Brannon … to see if the town will raise & appropriate $40,000 for Fire Dept. Capital Reserve. Motion passed 5-2-1.

Motion made by J. Gastonguay, 2nd by A. Purinton … to see if the town will raise & appropriate $1,000 for Community Services. Motion passed 8-0.

Motion made by A. Purinton, 2nd by J. Gastonguay … to see if the town will raise & appropriate $250,000 for Public Works Capital Reserve. Motion passed 8-0.

Motion made by J. Gastonguay, 2nd by M. Derr … to see if the town will raise & appropriate $0 for Municipal Buildings Capital Reserve. Motion passed 8-0.

Motion made by J. Gastonguay, 2nd by J. Wakeman … to see if the town will raise & appropriate $0 for Grants Matching Reserve Fund. Motion passed 8-0.

Motion made by J. Gastonguay, 2nd by J. Wakeman … to cancel Budget Committee meeting previously scheduled for May 5, 2026. Motion passed 8-0.

Next scheduled Budget Committee meeting to take place on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at the Durham Eureka Community Center starting at 6:30 p.m.

Motion made at 9:29 p.m. to adjourn meeting. Motion passed 8-0.

Information distributed during or prior to this meeting and referenced during the meeting are included in the meeting minutes packet and include the following: ●​ Durham Wage Table ●​ Image of Accountants Tax Assessment ●​ Email of Jill’s summary of Accountants Tax Assessment slide explanation ●​ Municipal Job Titles and Wages ●​ Employee Hourly Wages 4/30/2026 ●​ Town of Harpswell Wage and Benefits Survey 2025

●​ Public Works CIP ●​ Fire Departments CIP ●​ Municipal Buildings CIP

●​ Durham FY 27 Budget- Select Board Adopted ●​ Durham Committee Questions and Answers ●​ Durham Budget to Actual Detail 2026-03-31 ●​ Neil’s Research on Other Town Wages: Municipal Wage Scale Estimates 2026 ●​ Email Conversation with Fire Chief about Call Volume

                 Population   Hrly    Annual Salary 2024 2026/27 Est. X1.07       Stipend       Additional titles held
Casco                 3,683 $58.42               $121,514              $130,020    $2,340.00 Road Commissioner
Rockport              3,709
Orrington             3,757
Dexter                3,787 $38.29                $79,643               $85,218             n/a Treasurer
Wiscasset             3,793
Madawaska             3,812
Winterport            3,851 $45.91                $95,493              $102,177             n/a Tax Collector, Treasurer, Local Health Officer, Harbor Master
Wilton                3,894 $42.00                $87,360               $93,475             n/a Treasurer, Tax Collector, Road Commissioner
Pittsfield            3,902 $45.67                $94,994              $101,643             n/a Town Manager, Personnel/HR Director, GA Director
Limington             3,943
Naples                3,952 $48.08               $100,006              $107,007                 Treasurer, Road Commissioner
Millinocket           4,006 $49.30               $102,544              $109,722             n/a Finance Director, Deputy Treasurer, Economic Development Director
Monmouth              4,079
Fort Kent             4,098
North Yarmouth        4,136 $56.14               $116,771              $124,945             n/a Treasurer, Tax Collector, GA Administrator
Durham                4,210
Oxford                4,250
Arundel               4,327 $51.92               $107,994              $115,553              Treasurer, Road Commissioner
Greene                4,431 $36.60                $76,128               $81,457              Town Clerk, Treasurer, Tax Collector, Road Commissioner, GA Administrator
Dover-Foxcroft        4,439 $60.66               $126,173              $135,005    $3,200.04 Tax Collector, Welfare Director
China                 4,450
Vassalboro            4,556 $45.31               $117,806              $126,052                 Treasurer, Tax Collector, GA Administrator
Lyman                 4,583 $46.59                $90,851               $97,210
Glenburn              4,652
Jay                   4,682 $39.90                $82,992               $88,801                 Police Commissioner, Road Commissioner, Purchasing Agent, FOA Officer
Sidney                4,699
Madison               4,753 $39.18                $81,494               $87,199                 GA Admin, IT Support
Lincoln               4,796
Hollis                4,878
Warren                4,929 $40.14                $83,491               $89,336             n/a Welfare/GA, Treasurer, Tax Collector
Bucksport             5,011 $58.41                                                          n/a Tax Collector, GA Director, Treasurer
Harpswell             5,031 $45.87                $95,410              $102,088                 General Assistance Administrator
                              From AI
                              The average annual salary for a Town Manager in Maine varies by data source, ranging from $72,029 to $115,492.

ZipRecruiter (March 2026): Reports an average of $115,492 per year ($55.52/hour), with a typical range of $103,100 to $137,000. GovSalaries: Lists the average at $125,118, though specific datasets show averages between $68,745 and $103,016. Salary.com (March 2026): Estimates the average annual salary at $89,138 ($42–$43/hour), with a range of $77,374 to $98,209. Glassdoor (2026): Cites an average of $93,676 per year ($45/hour). Indeed: Shows an average of $84,812 per year, with Maine Municipal Association roles averaging $102,502.