Penobscot County Projects $800,000 Cash Cushion for 2026

Penobscot County expects to close out 2026 roughly $800,000 in the black, officials said on October 8, 2026, following several years of tight budgeting aimed at climbing out of past shortfalls tied largely to jail costs. Commissioners approved a spending plan topping $35 million for 2026. Commissioner Dan Tremble said, "There were a lot of sacrifices by everybody to get to where we are." Blair Tinkham, who became county administrator in February, said staff now track spending trends more closely so problems surface before they compound. The county paused hiring for a stretch and cut back on employee travel outside Maine. Tremble pointed to switching sheriff's office patrol cars from purchases to leases as one of the larger savings. Even with the brighter picture, the county still has to borrow ahead of each year's property tax collections. Tinkham said officials will again need a tax anticipation note, a short-term loan, right at the start of 2027. Separately, the county borrowed $12 million from Machias Savings Bank in 2026 and plans to pay it back in November. Treasurer Glenn Mower said the county's reserves are exhausted and will take time to restore. Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and opioid settlement money propped up the 2026 budget, Tinkham said, and without that cushion in 2027, the county will need to borrow more. Work on the 2027 budget is set to start in November, according to NEWS CENTER Maine.

This story was first reported by NEWS CENTER Maine.