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Town Manager's Proposed FY27 Municipal Budget

The Town Manager on 03/03/2026 proposed a municipal budget for the 2027 fiscal year (begins July 1, 2026).

The proposed budget includes $13,079,069 in expenses which is an increase of $1,710,374 from the previous fiscal year.

$1,394,785 of the increase is related to the new ambulance and fire service staffing.

$153,824 of the increase is related to the Town Manager's proposal to hire a full-time "HR Specialist" and a full-time "Communications."


The proposed budget prepared by the manager shall be reviewed by the town council which shall approve the budget with or without amendments. The complete town budget as approved by the town council shall be published and the town council shall fix the time and place for holding a public hearing for the budget, and shall give public notice of such hearing. The council shall then review the budget and recommend it, with or without change, to the annual town meeting


I encourage the public to weigh in by email to councilors@sbmaine.us

To call their councilors.

To attend the workshops or view them on YouTube.

And to attend regular meetings where they can make public comment.



I have attached to this post excel versions of the budget that was proposed on 03/03/2026.

Related to my release note b

elow, you can double check the data in these files by comparing them to the official pdf found on the Town website here: https://southberwickmaine.org/Document%20Center/Agendas%20&%20Minutes/Town%20Council/2026/Agenda/Budget%20Report%20FY27.pdf?t=202603040926330




Right to Use Limited:

The files attached here are provided for reference and convenience only. Some of them include Excel, Word, and PDF documents that were originally created in specific software environments used during the preparation of this material. When digital files are shared, downloaded, or opened on different systems or software versions, their formatting, calculations, or embedded information can sometimes change or become corrupted. Because of this, the accuracy of these files cannot be guaranteed once they are distributed.

For that reason, these documents should be treated as supplemental information only. If there are any differences between the information contained in these files and any official or formally adopted documents, the official documents control.

By accessing or using these files, readers acknowledge that they are uncontrolled copies provided for informational purposes.


 
 
 

New Year, New Footings

Happy New Year to everyone!


Over the past two months, I’ve been thinking carefully about how best to turn my campaign priorities into real action. As part of that process, I’ve spent time looking at how other municipalities manage their operations and at software systems I’ve encountered through my work as an engineer working with local governments.


What has become clear to me, is that many of the challenges we face as a town aren’t isolated problems, but rather, are the product of fragmented systems and outdated (or lack of any) workflows and procedures.


These fragments show themselves in how some capital improvement projects have been organized, budgeted, and executed. Projects like those on Roe Fields Drive that have been incomplete for years, work at the Transfer Station that was not fully scoped out prior to starting, the wavy sidewalk and curbing installation on Alder Drive, and most recently the Town Hall renovation being over-budget all expose gaps in the system/lack of system.

In the case of Town Hall, these gaps contributed to a confirmed over-commitment of funds beyond what had been allocated.


Related to permitting, the disagreement between the Town and Batham Properties, LLC likely would have never been able to get to the point that it did if procedures, management, and checks and balances were in place.

Less recently (May 2024), had financial and planning procedures with internal controls been in place, the health provider that was intending to occupy the old pharmacy would not have been pushed away and we would have another small business in Town in the currently vacant storefront.


More personally, accurate accounting, proper communication, and documented approvals for use of escrow funds for the major site plan review for Happy Valley would have prevented disagreements in what is owed to the Town for the process (still unresolved).


More human-facing, Town employees (and citizens) deserve a better system to provide feedback and file grievances that is auditable and maintains privacy and compliance.


These anecdotes and my own experiences led me to simplify my first-year priorities into one focus, implementing a town-wide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.


An ERP system connects permitting, procurement, project management, financial accounting, and other enterprise functions into a single, transparent platform.


Rather than chasing individual issues after they arise, this approach addresses the root cause which is a lack of organization across all departments and the siloing of data and communication.


Attached is a proposal I have written that I will be presenting at the Town Council Workshop this evening, 01/06/2026.


Thanks for reading!

Yours Truly,

Sam Flinkstrom


 
 
 

© 2025 by Sam Flinkstrom

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