Freeport is set to host a public hearing Tuesday, June 4, to review the proposed 2025 budget, just under a month before the next fiscal year begins.

The $14.3 million proposed budget would mark a just over $1 million increase in spending over the current fiscal year, according to preliminary budget documents from April.

The hearing comes after what town officials have described as a “challenging” budget season, given inflation and increased need for services. It also added in its budget outline that retention and recruitment of personnel has posed an additional challenge.

“Even with staff’s efforts to find efficiencies and mitigate budgetary increases, the FY 2025 budget reflects a $1,158,535 increase in total municipal operating expenses,” the town said in the document.

Documents additionally stated that the projected millage rate — the rate that determines how much residents pay in property taxes — would increase from $13.75 to $14.60 per thousand dollars of property value. This means that for a home valued at $300,000, taxes would be $4,380 a year, a $255 increase from the previous year. A majority of the taxes will be put toward the school, the town wrote.

The town’s proposed school budget is likely to increase to $41.6 million, a 6.5% increase from last year’s budget, according to Superintendent Jean Skorapa. Skorapa cited maintaining current programs and class sizes as the board’s top two priorities when deciding on the budget, which residents will vote on at the June 11 primaries.

The public hearing will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Town Hall, two weeks ahead of Freeport’s target budget adoption date, which is June 18.

Budget information can be viewed at freeportmaine.com.

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