Budget Information

The City of Bangor's budget is comprised of three distinctly governed components: municipal, education and county. The major factors that impact the City of Bangor budget annually are Bangor's assessed property value, non-property tax revenues (excise tax, revenue sharing, permits and licenses, etc.), expenses (wages, utilities, fuel, etc.), and the State of Maine budget.

Municipal Budget

The municipal component of the City's overall budget funds both mandatory and optional services. The most common municipally funded services include Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Library, etc.

The City Manager on April 14, 2025, introduced to the City Council the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Proposed Municipal Budget. A series of Council workshops were held to review the proposed budget and recordings of those workshops are available for viewing: 

A final vote on the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget was held June 23, 2025, and it was adopted by the City Council. A municipal budget must be prepared and adopted no later than June 30. Should the Council fail to adopt an operating budget on or before June 30, by Charter the budget proposed by the City Manager becomes effective.

Municipal Budget Archive

Education Budget

The education component of the City's overall budget funds pre-K through Grade 12 education as well as Adult Education. Major components of the budget include employees' salaries and benefits, utilities and maintenance for the 11 schools, supplies and textbooks for the students, transportation, Special Education, etc.

The School Department Budget is available online via the Bangor School Department website.

County Budget

The Penobscot County Government is directed and overseen by an elected Commission of three members along with an elected Treasurer, Sheriff, District Attorney, Registrar of Probate, Judge of Probate, and Registrar of Deeds. A summary listing of services, which are provided on a County-wide basis, would include the Penobscot County Jail; Sheriff's Department; PRCC / 911 (Penobscot Regional Communications Center); District Attorney's office; EMA (Emergency Management Agency); and Registry of Probate and Registry of Deeds.

An annual budget is prepared with growth guided by the LD1 growth factor and presented during a public meeting to the Budget Committee for their review and approval; however, the final budget approval is acted upon by the three Commissioners. Once the budget is approved, the municipalities' share is based upon an allocation determined by their State of Maine official valuation as a percentage of the entire Penobscot County valuation.

State of Maine Budget

Information about the State's budget process, including the enacted Biennial Budget, can be found on the State's website.

As the State of Maine budget provides a variety of funding to the City of Bangor to support municipal and education services, the State budget can have a significant impact on Bangor taxpayers.