HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-13 City Council Minutes MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—MAY 11, 2026
Meeting called to order at 7:00 PM
Chaired by Council Chair Hawes
Councilors Present:Beck, Carson,Deane, Faloon, Fish,
Leonard,Mallar(via Zoom), Walker,Hawes
Councilors Absent None
Meeting adjourned at 9:18 PM
PROCLAMATION: Proclaimed May as Older Americans Month
Councilor Mallar left the meeting and then joined the meeting via Zoom.
PUBLIC COMMENT Renee Hudgens,Joseph Bowman,Mike Furrow,Jaqueline Srraallwood,Mick Delagi,
Rich Trott,Joe McCarthy,and Richard Chaucer spoke regarding the homelessness
crisis and the problems arising from the situation that are negatively impacting
residents'property and safety and the need to fnd more balance and meaningful
policy to address the situation.
Katie Coe,Alex(Recovery Coach),Adam Baker,Evangetine White, Will Hurley,
Danielle Swett,Jennifer Marshall,Raymond Hamilton spoke regarding the need for
compassion and the need for a space for the homeless to be.
Jody McDonald felt all of the Council should support Ordinance 26-095.
Zach Bednaz and Scott Pardy submitted their written comments. (attached).
CONSENT AGENDA ASSIGNED TO
ITEMNO. COUNCILOR
*Explanatory Note:All items listed in the Consent Agenda are considered routine and are proposed for adoption by the
City Council by one motion without discussion or deliberation.Any member of the public may request that the Council
remove an item from the Consent Agenda for discussion. An item will only be removed if a City Councilor requests its
removal to New Business.
MINUTES OF: Bangor Ciry Council Regular Meeting of April 27, 2026
Action: Approved
26-I54 ORDER Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Bill of Sale for DEANE
Real Estate Located at I D A Street
Action: Passed
26-1 SS ORDER Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed for MALLAR
Real Estate Located at 166 Balsam Road
Action: Passed
26-156 ORDER Authorizing the Ciry Manager to Apply for a Grant from LEONARD
Versant Power Sponsorship Program in the Amount of
$7,500 for the Purpose of Purchasing a Track Kit for a Utility
Task Vehicle for Fire Department
Action: Passed
Page 1
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—MAY 11, 2026
CONSENT AGENDA ASSIGNED TO
ITEMNO. COUNCILOR
26-157 ORDER Authorizing the City Manager to Apply for Up to$IS0,000 WALKER
from the Maine CDC as Part of a Collaborative Application
to Offer HIV,HCi; and STI Prevention, Testing, and
Referral to Resources
Action: Passed
26-I58 ORDER Appointing Code Enforcement Officers,Electrical and CARSON
Plumbing Inspectors for the City of Bangor
Action: Passed
26-I59 ORDER Authorizing the City Manager to award a contract to Gordon FALOON
Contracting,Inc. of Sangerville,Maine in the amount of
$13,493,962 for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of
Taxiways Alpha&Mike
Action: Passed
REFERRALS TO COMMITTEE AND FIRST READING ASSIGNED TO
ITEMNO. COUNCILOR
26-160 ORDINANCE Amending the Code of the City of Bangor to Create a DEANE
Standing Com`nittee on Housing
Action: First Reading
26-161 RESOLVE Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate FISH
$2S0 from the Maine Primary Care Association for
Providing an Educational Presentation About the ROSE
Program
Action: First Reading
26-I62 RESOLVE Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate FISH
$80,000 from Maine General to Implement Outpatient
Early Intervention Services with Respect to HIiT Disease
Action: First Reading and Referral to Government Operations
Committee Meeting on May 18,2026
Page 2
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—MAY 11, 2026
UNFINISHED BUSINESS ASSIGNED TO
ITEMNO. COUNCILOR
26-095 ORDINANCE Amending the Code of the City of Bangor to Establish BECK
Chapter 46, "Employee Authority in Immigration Matters"
Action: Motion made and seconded to Postpone Indefinitely
Vote:2— 7
Councilors Voting Yes:Fish,Mallar
Councilors Voting No:Beck, Carson,Deane,Faloon,
Leonard, Walker Hawes
Motion Failed
Motion made and seconded to Postpone to the City Council
�neeting on May 27,2026
Vote: 9—0
Councilors Voting Yes:Beck, Carson,Deane, Faloon,
Fish,Leonard,Mallar, Walker,Hawes
Councilors Voting No:None
Passed to Postpone
26-137 ORDINANCE Amending Chapter 257,Sidewalks, to Add Section 257-7 FISH
Occupying,Blocking, Obstructing, or Partially
Obstructing a Sidewalk or Esplanade
Richard Chaucer,Mike Furrow,Renee Hudgens,Nichi Farnharn,Lee Chick
spoke in favor.
Hilari Simmons questioned whether the unhoused and other citizens of the City
would be treated the same.
Jody McDonald and Katie Coe spoke agains�
Scott Pardy questioned how it would be enforced
Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage
Motion`nade and seconded to Amend by Substitution to incorporate changes
recommended by the Advisory Commitlee on Racial Equity,Inclusion and
Human Rights and to strikeout "and access support-based engagement(see
above)"in the second sentence in Section 257-7(C)
Vote: 9—0
Councilors Voting Yes:Beck, Carson,Deane, Faloon, Fish,Leonard,
Mallar, Walker,Hawes
Councilors Voting No:None
Passed to Amend
Motion rnade and seconded for Passage as Amended
i�ote: 9—0
Councilors Voting Yes:Beck, Carson,Deane, Faloon, Fish,Leonard,
Mallar, Walker,Hawes
Councilors Voting No:None
Passed
Page 3
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—MAY 11, 2026
UNFINISHED BUSINESS ASSIGNED TO
ITEMNO. COUNCILOR
26-I SO ORDINANCE Amending City of Bangor Code-Part I Administrative LEONARD
Legislation Chapter 23 Boards, Committees and
Commissions Section 35 through 38,Respectively,to
Modify Membership,Election of Officers, and
Meetings/quorum for the Downtown Parking Advisory
Committee
Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage
Vote: 9—0
Councilors Voting Yes:Beck, Carson,Deane,Faloon,
Fish,Leonard,Mallar, Walker,Hawes
Councilors Voting No:None
Passed
26-1 SI RESOL i�E Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate CARSON
$7,852,320 in FY23 Bus and Bus Facilities Competitive
Grant for the Construction of a Work Force Development
Training Center and the Rehab of the Cold Bus Barn
Facility for the Community Connector
Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage
Vote: 9—0
Councilors Voting Yes:Beck, Carson,Deane, Faloon,
Fish,Leonard,Mallar, Walker,Hawes
Councilors Voting No:None
Passed
NEW BUSINESS ASSIGNED TO
ITEMNO. COUNCILOR
None.
,
ATTEST:
Lisa . Gooc�vin, C, City Clerk
Page 4
;
� ..�i.,i�iti�. �T-C� by �1-�� j � ��� r 5- i 1- a�,��
Bangor Policy Indicator�s
A Comparative Data Brief on Pubiic Safety, Homelessness, Taxation, and Civic Accountability
Prepared for the&angor City Council / May 2026 1 8angor. Maine
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This brief compiles publiciy available data from federal, state, municipal, and peer-reviewed sources to inform
Council deliberations on four interrelated policy areas: (1) the "magnet city" effect and the misclassification of
Bangor's chronic addiction and mental-illness crisis as homelessness, (2) Maine's 1-for-100 syringe distribution
policy, (3) housing supply and property tax competitiveness, and (4) civic accountability and grant oversight. All
claims are sourced. Where data is contested or methodologically uncertain, the report notes the limitation.
Key indicators at a glance
. . . . . .
Bangor crime rate(2024) 4,399 per 100,000 —#1 highest in Maine, 1.6x national FBI UCR 2024
Bangor homeless rate(estimated) �126-142 per 10,000 vs. national 23 and Maine 17.3 — HUD AHAR+city
6-8x baseline shelter data
Maine unsheltered population, 2025 38%serious mental illness, 33%chronic, 30%substance MaineHousing 2025
use disorder PIT
Penobscot County overdose share, 17%of Maine deaths from 11%of state population;only BDN Feb 2026/state
2025 county to increase data
Maine SSP syringes distributed, 3,676,315 distributed, 517,533 unaccounted Maine CDC 2024
2023 Annual Report
Bangor GA spending, FY24 $769,309 — up 138%year-over-year from$323K City of Bangor budget
Bangor mill rate vs. Hermon $17.70 vs.$10.90 —$2,380/yr more on a$350K home Municipal assessing
offices
Houston Housing-First reduction in 64%reduction(2011-2023), over 30,000 individuals housed CBS/Coalition for the
homelessness Homeless
Reading this brief
Each section opens with a data table or comparative figure, followed by sourced context and a set of open
questions for Council consideration. The brief does not advocate for specific votes; it provides comparative data
so that policy decisions can be evaluated against measurable outcomes.
1. THE MAGNET CITY: PUBLIC SAFETY, HOMELESSNESS, AND
MISCLASSIFICATION
Bangor accounts for 2.3% of Maine's population but absorbs a disproportionate share of the state's chronic,
drug-using, unsheltered population. The city functions as the regional service center for eastern Maine,
concentrating the problem in a city of approximately 31,938 residents while neighboring towns route their
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 1
populations here. The data below quantifies this concentration and clarifies the actual composition of Bangor's
street population.
1.1 Bangor crime, 2024 FBI data
� .. . . .. -
Total crime rate per 100,000 4,399 1,988 2,752 2.2x state, 1.6x national
Property crime per 100,000 4,238 1,834 1,710 2.3x state,2.5x national
Violent crime per 100,000 161 100 359 1.6x state, 0.4x national
Total reported crimes, 2024 4,124 27,754 �8.9M Bangor#1 of any Maine city
Sources:FBI Uniform Crime Reports 2024(released October 2025);Maine Department of Public Safety 2024 Crrme in Maine Report;
HomeSnacks F81 compilation;CrimeByCity.com 2024 state ranking.
1.2 Homelessness rate, Bangor vs. Maine vs. national
-�� .� • - - ��• • '�� • '- 1 1 1 1 ..,
United States(HUD 2024 PIT) 771,480 �333M 23.0
Maine (2025 PIT) 2,413 1,395,722 17.3
Bangor area(estimated)* �400-450 31,938 126-142
'Methodology:HUD does not separately report PIT counts at the city level for Bangor. Bangor-area estimate is derived from documented
sources:(a)Camp Hope encampment housed 70-90+individuals at peak in 2024(NewsCenter Maine,BDNJ, (B)450 individuals stayed in
Bangor's three shelters in the(irst 8 months of 2024(city data), (c)Penobscot+Piscataqurs countres combined had 54B actively homeless as
of July 2024. Conservative range:400-450 individuals in Bangor proper,divided by 31,938 city residents,yields 126-142 per 1 D,000. This is
6—Sx the national average and 7—Sx fhe Maine state average.
1.3 Maine's unsheltered population: who they actually are
-. . - ... . �
Affected by serious mental illness 38%
Chronically homeless(1+year, with disability) 33%
Substance use disorder 30°/a
Subpopulations overlap significantly — most carry 2+conditions —
Source:MaineHousing 2025 Point-in-Time Report, Figure 6:Unhoused Subpopulations.
Key finding: The dominant condition among Maine's unsheltered homeless population is not lack of
income or loss of housing — it is serious mental illness, chronic homelessness with a disability, and
substance use disorder. These three categories overlap heavily. Policy responses calibrated for
"housing crisis" produce limited results when the underlying drivers are addiction and mental
illness. The City of Bangor's own website states the harm-reduction grant program covers
Penobscot County "with a focus on Bangor (as the City has the highest number of overdoses in the
county)." The concentration of free services in Bangor creates a magnet effect: the regional
addiction-and-mental-illness population is routed here.
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 2
1.4 Relevant policy changes (2021-2025)
• July 2021: Maine LD 994 decriminalized possession and furnishing of syringes containing residual
amounts of any scheduled drug.
• July 2021 (Title 17-A§18): Maine adopted a statewide"Homelessness Crisis Protocol." Police MUST
attempt diversion (not arrest)when a homeless person commits any of 5 offenses:trespass, disorderly
conduct, drug possession for personal use, public urination, public drinking. Creates a documented two-tier
enforcement standard.
• January 2023: Bangor Community Assistance Team (BCAT) launched. Civilian specialists handle loitering
and quality-of-life calls without police presence.
• September 2022: Maine DHHS expanded syringe service program exchange ratio from 1-for-1 to
1-for-100.
• June 2024: U.S. Supreme Court in Grants Pass v. Johnson— municipal camping bans do not violate the
Eighth Amendment. Full enforcement authority restored to cities.
• January 2025: Maine CDC revoked Health Equity Alliance (HEAL) certification — Bangor's largest syringe
provider — for failures in data collection, staff training, and policy compliance.
• October 2025: Bangor City Council approved purchase of land off Maine Avenue for 30 efficiency units for
the chronically homeless.
Open questions for Council:
• What share of city homelessness funding is currently directed at substance use disorder treatment vs.
shelter beds vs. mental health intervention vs. economic displacement assistance? What outcome data exists
for each?
• Does the City currently track entry-and-exit data showing where unhoused individuals came from? What
share of Bangor's homeless population are originally Bangor residents vs. routed in from surrounding towns
and counties?
• Does Bangor's current enforcement posture fully utilize the authority restored by Grants Pass v. Johnson
(2024)?
• Has the Council formally evaluated whether Maine Title 17-A §18's two-tier enforcement structure has
produced its intended outcomes or contributed to the documented concentration effect?
2. THE 1-FOR-100 SYRINGE POLICY
- -
In September 2022, Maine DHHS expanded the syringe service program (SSP) exchange ratio from 1-for-1 to
1-for-100. SSPs may distribute up to 100 sterile needles per 1 returned, or 100 with zero returned. The data
below documents the resulting distribution-versus-recovery gap.
- .. . . . -. �. � � �,
Maine statewide, 2023 3,676,315 3,158,782 517,533 86%
HEAL Bangor, 2022-2023 658,627 591,138 67,489 90%
Portland, FY 2024 952,411 577,517 374,894 61%
Sanford encampment cleanup, 2024 — — 14,700 Traced to
nearby SSP
Statewide 2019(pre-l-for-100) �900,000 �860,000 �40,000 �96%
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 3
Sources:Maine CDC Syringe Service Programs in Maine 2024 Annual Report;The Maine Monitor(Apr.8,2025);Bangor Daily News(Sept.
30,2024);Maine Wire(Mar. 7,2025);Maine Morning Star(Nov.25,2024).
Key finding: Maine SSPs distributed 3.7 million syringes in 2023 — four times the 2019 volume and
seven times the 2013 volume. Over 517,000 syringes statewide went out and did not return in 2023
alone.The City of Bangor has paid a part-time needle collector$29,000 who recovered approximately
8,000 syringes from public spaces in a city of 32,000 residents.
2.1 The HEAL coliapse and the Penobscot County HIV outbreak
Maine CDC revoked HEAL's syringe service certification in January 2025 due to documented failures in data
collection, staff training, and policy compliance. After HEAL's collapse, Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness
saw a 1,800% increase in syringe distribution (400 syringes in October 2024 to 7,700 in December 2024). The
system absorbed and rerouted the distribution flow rather than reducing it.
Penobscot County has been in an HIV outbreak since October 2023. By September 2025, 28 confirmed cases
had been identified over approximately two years — vs. a historical baseline of �i case per year. Per Maine
Morning Star (Sept. 2025), "nearly all cases are among people who use drugs and are homeless."The outbreak
emerged WHILE HEAL was distributing 658,627 syringes per year — the highest volume in its history.
Sources:BDN(Dec.23,2024);NewsCenter Maine(Jan.2025);Maine Morning Star(Sept. 10,2025);Maine CDC health advisory(Feb.
2024).
Open questions for Council:
• Should Bangor petition Maine CDC to restore a 1-for-1 or 1-for-2 maximum exchange ratio, given
documented recovery rates below 90% statewide?
• Should Bangor adopt a needle-buyback ordinance modeled on Portland's program (10 cents per returned
syringe, 200/week cap), which Portland reports reduced syringe litter by 76%?
• What outcome metrics are currently used to evaluate SSP effectiveness in Bangor? Are public-space
syringe recovery rates and HIV incidence among the tracked metrics?
• Should SSPs operating in Bangor be required to publish quarterly distribution-and-recovery data as a
condition of operating within city limits?
3. HOUSING SUPPLY, RENT CONTROL, AND TAX COMPETITIVENESS
- _
3.1 Academic consensus on rent control
Rent control is one of the most studied policies in housing economics. A 1992 survey of American Economic
Association members found 93% agreed that "a ceiling on rents reduces the quality and quantity of housing
available."Subsequent peer-reviewed research has only strengthened this finding.
. . - . . . .
Diamond, McQuade, Qian San Francisco Rent control reduced rental supply 15%;drove a 5.1%
(2019) citywide rent INCREASE long-term.
American Economic Review
Autor, Palmer, Pathak(2014) Cambridge, MA Ending rent control boosted property values by$2 billion and
Stanford/Brookings spurred neighborhood investment.
St. Louis Federal Reserve Multiple U.S.cities Rent-controlled buildings show consistently worse
(2024) maintenance and dilapidation.
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 4
Brookings Institution (2022) Cambridge&San 15-percentage-point decline in renters in covered buildings;
Francisco cost of providing that insurance is very large.
NMHC review of AEA literature United States 93%of AEA economists agree rent ceilings reduce housing
quality and quantity.
Sources:American Economic Review i09(9):3365-94(2019);Stanford/Brookings(2018);Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis(Feb.2024);
Brookings Institution(Mar.2022);National Multrfamily Housing Council.
Key finding: The intended benefit of rent control (reduced rents for incumbent tenants) is
documented in the research. The trade-offs (reduced supply, worse quality, higher market rents
long-term, reduced property values) are documented in the same studies. Both findings come from
the same data.
3.2 Bangor's tax disadvantage on a $350,000 home
. . � . � ..
Hermon $10.90 �100% $3,815 -$2,380 (-38%)
Brewer $15.40 100% $5,390 -$805(-13%)
Hampden $17.65 100% $6,178 -$17(,--0%)
BANGOR $17.70 100% $6,195 (baseline)
Veazie(equalized) �$18.09 est. $6,332 +$137(+2%)
Sources:City of Bangor 2025 Annual Assessing Update;City of Brewer Assessing FY 2026;Town of Hampden Assessing FY 25/26;Town of
Hermon Tax Office FY 25;Maine Revenue Services equalized full-value tax rates.
Key finding: A $350,000 home in Hermon pays approximately $2,380 tess annually in property tax
than the same home in Bangor. Over a 30-year mortgage, this represents a $71,400 differential. As
tax-paying residents and capital flow to lower-tax neighbors, Bangor's per-capita share of regional
fixed costs(county,jail, regional services) increases — raising pressure on remaining taxpayers.
4. PEER CITY CASE STUDIES
This section presents documented outcomes from three jurisdictions that took materially different approaches to
homelessness, substance use, and housing supply. None is a perfect analogue for Bangor, but each offers
measurable, peer-reviewed or independently-audited outcome data.
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 5
4.1 Houston, Texas — coordinated Housing First with accountability
Approach Housing First with centralized data system ("The Way Home"), 100+nonprofit
partners coordinated under Coalition for the Homeless.
Time period 2011-2023
Reduction in homelessness 64%(from�8,500 to�3,270 individuals)
Individuals placed in permanent Over 36,000 since 2012
housing
Per-individual cost �$18,000/year housed vs. $35,000—$80,000/year unhoused(emergency services,
jail, hospitals).
Key tactic Coordinated encampment decommissioning paired with housing placement. Not
enforcement-only and not housing-only.
Sources:CBS News(Nov.2i,2024);Coalition for the Homeless of Nouston/Narris County PIT reports;Governing Magazrne(Aug.30,2023);
Smart Cities Dive(2022);National Prevention Science Coalition cost data.
4.2 California — spending without accountability
Total spending, 2018-2023 $24 billion on homelessness statewide
Outcome Homeless population continued to grow over the same period.
Los Angeles, 2011-2020 84% INCREASE in homelessness despite massive spending.
San Francisco downtown Vacancy rate above 30%. Businesses fled in response to disorder.
Common thread in failure No performance benchmarks. No service conditions. No public-space enforcement.
Sources:Manhattan Institute, "Housing First and Homelessness:The Rhetoric and the Reality"(2020);California State Auditor reports;Los
Angeles Homeless Services Authority P!T data.
4.3 Finland — National Housing First with capital investment
� ., '.
Approach National policy adopted 2008. Shelters converted to permanent supported housing.
Y-Foundation operates as 4th-largest national landlord.
Long-term homelessness reduction 68%(2008-2022). Rough-sleeping nearly eliminated.
Helsinki shelter beds 2,121 (1985)to 52(2016), replaced with permanent units.
National total homeless Approximately 3,806(0.06%of Finnish population vs.�0.2%in U.S.).
Sources:HUD User Cityscape, vol.22 no.2;Y-Foundation, `A Home of Your Own"(2017);Housing First Europe.
Key finding: The two jurisdictions with the largest documented reductions in homelessness
(Houston 64%, Finland 68%) both combined Housing First with operational accountability, capital
investment in housing stock, and active encampment management.Spending-without-accountability
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 6
models(California)show no reduction or worsening outcomes despite massive investment.
5. CIVIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND SPENDING
5.1 Bangor's homelessness spending trajectory
.- . . -.. . .
City share of General Assistance, FY24 $769,309 Up 138%from$323,000 in FY23.Total individuals
assisted rose from 711 to 1,203.
Tent City cleanup+part-time needle $148,000 $119,000 cleanup+$29,000 collector.�8,000 syringes
collector recovered from public spaces.
Public bathroom project $250,000 Plagued by drug use, vandalism, nonfatal overdoses,
used needles. Requires 4 cleanings per week.
Shelter+sober house expenditures, FY24 $266,819 Shelter$66,762+sober house$200,057.
Opioid settlement funds unspent(Bangor+ $2,100,000 Held since 2022. Neither body formed an advisory
Penobscot) committee to plan spending until 2025.
Food AndMedicine grant, FY 2024-25 $336,342 $75K collective gardens+$261 K workforce
development. Recipient endorsed 3 winning Council
candidates in November 2025.
Sources:City of Bangor budget documents;Bangor Daily News(multiple,2024-2026, including Nov. 17,2025 Food AndMedicine reporting
and Feb. 16,2026 opioid funds reportrng);MaineNousing data;Maine Drug Data Hub.
Key finding: The City's homelessness-related spending rose 138% year-over-year in one category
(General Assistance) while measured outcomes worsened. Two million dollars in opioid settlement
funds sat unspent for three years. Spending levels alone are not the constraint;the constraint is the
absence of ineasurable outcomes tied to spending.
5.2 The Food AndMedicine grant: a disclosure question
Per Bangor Daily News reporting (November 17, 2025) and subsequent coverage, the City of Bangor allocated
$336,342 in federai pass-through grant funding to the Brewer-based nonprofit Food AndMedicine. In the
November 2025 municipal election, Food AndMedicine publicly endorsed three Bangor City Council candidates
(Faloon, Carson, Walker), sent campaign mailings, knocked on more than 3,000 doors, and used its
headquarters as the address of record for paid canvassers. All three endorsed candidates were elected.
Key finding: The Council currently has no published policy governing disclosure or recusal when
city grant recipients engage in political endorsement activity affecting sitting or incoming
councilors. This is a process gap that warrants formal review.
6. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
_ _ - -
� , , � . � .-
1 Bangor has the highest crime rate of any Maine city over 10,000 population High (FBI UCR 2024)
(4,399/100K vs. Maine 1,988).
Bangor Policy indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 7
2 Bangor's homeless rate (�126-142 per 10,000) is 6-8x the national average and Moderate(city-level estimate
7-8x the Maine state average. from shelter+encampment
counts)
3 Maine's unsheltered homeless population is 38%mentally ill, 33%chronically High (MaineHousing 2025 PIT)
homeless, and 30%substance use disorder.
4 Maine SSPs distributed 3.7M syringes in 2023; 517,533 were unaccounted for; High (Maine CDC SSP Annual
recovery dropped from 96%(2019)to 86%(2023)after 1-for-100 rule. Report)
5 Penobscot County experienced a 14x+increase in HIV cases among IV drug users High (Maine CDC+ Maine
(28 cases vs.�1/year baseline). Morning Star)
6 Academic consensus(93%of AEA economists): rent ceilings reduce housing Very high(peer-reviewed,
supply and quality. multi-decade)
7 A$350K home in Hermon pays$2,380 less per year in property tax than the same High (current municipal data)
home in Bangor.
8 Houston:64%reduction in homelessness via coordinated Housing First. California: High (independent audit,
$24B with no reduction. peer-reviewed)
9 Bangor General Assistance spending rose 138%in one year(FY23 to FY24). High (city budget documents)
$2.1 M in opioid funds unspent since 2022.
10 City has no published conflict-of-interest disclosure policy for grants to politically High (verifiable absence)
active recipients.
6.1 Possible directions for Council inquiry
• On homelessness and substance use: Commission an independent audit. Reclassify city spending by
population (economic displacement, substance use disorder, serious mental illness). Tie next funding cycle to
documented outcomes. Petition Maine CDC to restore a 1-for-1 or 1-for-2 syringe exchange ratio.
• On enforcement: Evaluate whether Bangor's current practice fully utilizes the authority restored by Grants
Pass v. Johnson. Reform or petition repeal of Title 17-A§18 two-tier enforcement protocol.
• On housing supply: Commission an independent review of permitting, entitlement, and adaptive-reuse
timelines. Review empirical literature betore considering rent or short-term rental controls.
• On taxes: Set a publicly stated mill-rate target for FY 2028. Require department-by-department justification
for any spending growth above inflation.
• On accountability:Adopt a written disclosure and recusal policy for grants over$25,000 to politically
active organizations. Publish all city grants in a single, searchable resource. Spend the$2.1 M in unspent
opioid settlement funds immediately on detox capacity, treatment, and recovery housing.
-
ABOUT THIS BRIEF
This brief was prepared for distribution to members of the Bangor City Council ahead of public comment in May
2026. All figures are drawn from publicly available sources cited inline. Where municipal figures differ between
sources, the most recent and authoritative source has been used. Councilors are encouraged to verify any figure
with the relevant department head before citing it in policy deliberation. Corrections welcomed.
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 8
PRIMARY SOURCES
Bangor Daily News(multiple,2010,2024-2026)•Maine Department of Public Safety,2024 Crime in Maine Report•Maine CDC,Syringe
Service Programs in Maine 2024 Annual Report and Feb.2024 health advisory•MaineHousing,2025 Point-in-Time Report(and 2024 PIT)•
FBI Uniform Crime Reports 2024•City of Bangor Public Health and budget documents•City of Brewer,Town of Hampden,Town of Hermon
assessing offices•Maine Revenue Services Equalized Fu�l-Value Tax Rates•Diamond,McQuade&Qian,American Economic Review
(2019) •Autor, Palmer&Pathak,Stanford/Brookings(2018) • Federal Reserve Bank of St.Louis(Feb.2024)•Brookings Institution(Mar.
2022)•Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County,2022-2024 PIT Results•CBS News(Nov.21,2024) •Governing Magazine
(Aug.30,2023) •Manhattan Institute(2020)•HUD User Cityscape,vol.22 no.2�Y-Foundation,"A Home of Your Own"(2017) •Maine
Morning Star(Sept.2025,Nov.2024) •The Maine Monitor(Apr.8,2025)•Grants Pass v.Johnson,603 U.S._(2024)•Maine Revised
Statutes Title 77-A§18(Homelessness Crisis Protocol)•Maine Wire(Mar.2025, May 2026)• U.S.Census Bureau QuickFacts•Worid
Population Review(2026).
Bangor Policy Indicators:A Comparative Data Brief Page 9
Good evening, Councilors. �
For months, we have discussed the crisis of homelessness in Bangor as if the solution requires a
massive, new, expensive Request for Proposal (RFP)to bring in outside consultants or build
something from the ground up. We talk about it as if we don't already have the tools in our hands
to make an immediate impact.
An RFP process is slow, it's bureaucratic, and it often leads to spending money on administrative
overhead rather than on the people who need help today. We don't need a new study or a new
third-party contract. We need to look at the map of Bangor and realize that the City is already
one of the largest property owners in the region.
Right now, we have assets sitting underutilized or entirely vacant. Specifically, the city owns
several buildings in the vicinity of the airport that could be converted into low-barrier, 24/7
housing solutions. Furthermore, we have the Parks and Recreation building that the department
no longer wants.
Instead of letting these buildings sit empty or waiting for a"perfect" developer to come along,
we should be using them to house our residents—not just at night, but during the day as well. A
"night-only" shelter model is a half-measure that forces people back onto the streets at 7:00 AM,
perpetuating the very cycle of visibility and crisis we are trying to solve. By utilizing our own
square footage, we eliminate the need for costly new acquisitions and put our existing capital to
work.
Space is only half the battle; we need the staff to manage it. But again, we don't need to hire a
new army of consultants.
The Opioid Settlement funds have already provided for two case workers within Public Health
specifically for the HIV outbreak. These staff inembers are already on the city payroll. We
should be integrating these roles directly into our housing response. If that isn't enough, the
Council has the authority to direct the City Manager to move other staff from the Public Health
department as needed.
This isn't about "doing more with less"—it's about doing the right things with what we already
have. We have the buildings near the airport, we have the Parks and Rec site, and we have the
health professionals already in our building.
Councilors, the citizens of Bangor are tired of hearing about "process" while their tax dollars are
funneled into RFPs that yield no immediate results. I am asking you to instruct staff to stop the
RFP cycle and instead present a plan to operationalize our own buildings using our own staff.
Let's use the assets we already own to solve the crisis we currently face.
Zachary Bednaz
115 G rove St.
Good evening,members of the Council.
We are here tonight to discuss numbers on a page, but I want to start by discussing the people
behind those numbers. For the average resident of Bangor,there is no "automatic" increase in
income. There is no department head they can go to and simply request a 5 or 10 percent budget
expansion to cover their rising costs. They have to make do with what they have. They have to
prioritize,they have to sacrifice, and they have to live within their means.
Right now, our municipal budget is moving in a direction that ignores that reality. We are seeing
proposed wage increases that outpace the very citizens paying for them, and capital expenditures
on "nice-to-have" projects while our neighbors struggle with rising utility rates and inflation.
As a Council, you are the stewards of the public purse. But let's be honest: none of you—nor I—
have ever run a city department. You have not managed the DPW's daily fleet maintenance; you
haven't overseen the intricate staffing shifts of the police or fire departments. Because of that,
you cannot possibly be expected to know which individual line items to strike.
If you try to micro-manage the cuts, you'll be met with a hundred reasons why every single
dollar is "essential." But your job isn't to be a departmental expert; your job is to set the policy
and the financial ceiling.
The most effective way to achieve fiscal restraint is to put the burden of choice back on the
professionals who run this city.
The department heads know exactly where the redundancies axe. They know which programs are
underperforming and which capital projects can wait another year. By setting a hard ceiling—a
mandate for a zero-percent tax increase—you are not "cutting services." You are instructing the
staff to find the efficiencies that only they can see.
Tell the staff: "This is the limit. This is all the taxpayers can afford.Now,use your expertise to
bring us a budget that fits within that box."
When we allow the budget to grow simply because it's easier than saying "no," we aren't being
kind to the community; we are being irresponsible. We need a budget that prioritizes essential
services over beautification and bike lanes. We need a budget that respects the financial ceiling
of the working class.
I urge this Council to stop looking for the cuts yourselves and instead give a clear directive to
staf£ find the path to a zero-percent increase. Let the experts do their jobs so that we can do ours:
protecting the long-term economic sustainability of Bangor.
Scott Pardy May 1 l, 2026