Over the past several months, I have watched and/or attended several meetings of the Budget Committee and Select Board. It is my firm belief that spending is out of control and there has been no honest effort to rein it in.

Rather than looking to see if expenses could be reduced in a logical, reasonable, and thoughtful manner, it seems the town’s leadership is more intent on trying to generate more revenue (taxes and grants) than promoting fiscal responsibility.

I have reviewed the Town of Camden’s proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025. I was interested in the trends over the past five years, and as such, I compared the FY 2025 budget to the actual results from FY 2020. It was disappointing, but not surprising to learn the following:

Administration and Finance full time salaries increased from $403,979 in FY 2020 to $665,000 in FY 2025….an increase of $261,021 or 64.61 %. Seven full time employees in 2020 and eight in 2025.

Planning, Code Enforcement, Community Development, and Assessing Ffull time salaries increased from $230,196 in FY 2020 to $523,000 in FY 2025…. an increase of $292,804 or 127.20%. Four full time employees in 2020 and six in 2025. 

Salaries from these two departments alone increased $553,825 from 2020 to 2025.

What significant changes in the Town’s development, construction and assessment could account for this?

The 2020 Census indicates a population of 5,232, and the estimated population in July of 2022 was 5,287…a 55 person increase.

Another area of concern is the fact that we have one individual who is now the Director of Public Works, the Wastewater Superintendent, the Facilities Manager at Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corporation, the Tree Warden and the Dam Control Agent.

How is it possible that one person can oversee these departments and be effective at the same time?

On top of that, as the Dam Control agent, this individual will be paid a proposed stipend of $30,000 per year on top of the salaries received from the departments he oversees.

This equates to being paid $14.42 per hour, 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year to control the dams. 2,080 man hours to control the dams is not realistic and the stipend is just another way to pay this individual even more money than he’s already getting.

Is it not a prudent management decision to have one person in control of all these positions. One only must look at the Town of Carmel, Maine.

In January 2024, the Town Manager there tragically passed away, and because he held several positions within the town, his unexpected death, made things difficult for the town staff and Select Board to function effectively.

At the April 2 Camden Select Board Meeting one hour was set aside for a public hearing on the FY 25 Budget. The first half of this meeting was confusing and disconcerting. There was uncertainty about the accuracy of some numbers and former Select Board Chair John French spoke and told the Select Board and Town Manager that what they were presenting “was embarrassing”.

Once corrections were made and the public hearing resumed, I addressed the Select Board about the Fire/,EMS Department.

On or about March 25/26 a Six Phase Plan was introduced by the Fire Chief.

It was determined that NO detailed review or discussion with the Budget Committee or Select Board had taken place, yet the Fire Chief and Town Manager were still requesting to budget for three additional full time employees, a new $400,000 ambulance, and renovating the Public Safety Building by taking important rooms away from the Police Department in the upcoming fiscal year.

The highlights of this plan were to hire an additional 14 full time employees between July 1, 2024, and September 1, 2028, purchase three new ambulances between now and 2029, and to add insult to injury, the Town would still contract with Northeast Mobile Health at some level to at least until 2029.

To my knowledge there has been virtually no coordination/cooperation with the Town of Rockport or any other towns.

At the April 16 Select Board Meeting the Select Board Chair Tom Hedstrom asked the Fire Chief how many 911 calls the department responded to last year and the response was “I don’t know.”

If that one simple question couldn’t be answered, one must wonder if the three new proposed positions are truly needed. The answer could very well be yes, but with virtually no public meetings or discussions with the Select Board and Budget Committee, and the inability to answer basic questions, then perhaps the whole six phase plan should be reconsidered.

The Town Manager, at the recommendation of the Select Board Chair, has proposed a new full-time position within the Town Office.

The proposed position “will assist in improving communication, public outreach, and managing interdepartmental projects and initiatives.”

When former Select Board Chair John French asked if there was a job description for this report, the answer was “no”.

At the April 16 Select Board Meeting, Select Board member Chris Nolan asked the Town Manager directly if there was a job description for the new position and the Town Manager’s response was once again “no”.

Chris went on to explain the importance of having a job description in the private sector and why he was not in support of the position.

Chris was rebuffed by the Town Manager with her stating, “I just want to say that I think it’s really important…. because Chris, you are a new Select Board Member, to know that you are not a management board and job descriptions are not the purview of the Select Board.”

Her comments were inappropriate, condescending, and rude. The Select Board has every right to vet any addition to staff.

How many towns the size of Camden have a Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, and now a second Assistant Town Manager/Communications Director?

When Select Board Member Stephanie French asked how much this new position would be paid, The Town Manager’s response was “You know, unfortunately, I can’t answer that question, Jodi’s ill and she’s not here tonight and normally she would be the one that would bring that up.”

It’s beyond my comprehension that our Town Manager could not/would not provide a job description and could not answer how much this new position would be paid.

As Stephanie French said, “this is shocking”.

I spoke against this position and agreed with Chris Nolan. I specifically stated that if I had proposed a new position in the private sector and did not provide a job description and could not state what this employee would be paid, “I’d be fired”.

A Camden resident asked what the effect on taxes would be with this proposed budget and the Town Manager’s answer was, “I wouldn’t want to wager a guess at this point in time until commitment.”

It's hard to believe that our Town Manager was not prepared to answer a citizen’s basic question that should have been easily answered.

At the April 16 Select Board Meeting, Former Select Board Chair John French respectfully requested the Select Board please take into consideration the impact of the school’s budget, and the county’s budget in addition to the town.

John specifically requested that the Select Board take into consideration the community and the people that live here.

Once done speaking, the Select Board Chairman inexplicably decided to ask John if he had been to the school board’s open meeting about three weeks earlier and specifically wanted to know “why he was more concerned with the money we are spending here then the money they are spending there.”

The Select Board Chair was out of line and clearly was attempting to put John French on the defensive in a weak attempt to deflect away from the Town’s budget.

It is clear that the Town’s leadership does not have to ability to differentiate between needs and wants, and they do not have the ability to prioritize. We simply cannot be all things, to all people, all the time, and it’s time a message was sent.

Please Vote No on the budget on June 11.

Chris Morong lives in Camden