Bangor council reviews Community Connector and public health budgets

The Bangor City Council held a budget workshop on April 30, hearing presentations on the Community Connector regional transit system and the Public Health and Community Services department. Transit staff reported a 21 percent ridership increase over three months tied to rising fuel prices and discussed a request to move drivers to full-time status, while public health staff outlined new program requests for housing and homelessness positions.

Key points

• Community Connector staff said ridership rose 21 percent from January to March 2026 as diesel prices climbed from $2.91 to $4.33 per gallon.
• Staff announced a pending agreement with Eastern Maine Community College to send candidates for CDL training, which could also benefit Public Works.
• Councilor Wayne Mallar questioned the funding sources for the roughly $10 million cold bus barn project; staff said the $7.8 million grant is secured, with $1 million from Maine DOT and $1 million from partner communities.
• Public Health Director (identified in the transcript as Benjamin) said the department's roughly $8 million budget draws about 20 percent from city general funds, with general assistance a state-required program.
• Staff requested continued funding for a Housing Support Navigator position, reporting 168 referrals in its first year, 107 people remaining housed at case closeout and 91 still housed today.
• Staff also requested funding for the Homeless Response Coordinator position held by Bruce Hughes, citing complex cases and landlord relationship building.

Next steps

• Staff will finalize the CDL training agreement with Eastern Maine Community College in the coming weeks.
• Staff will provide Councilor Mallar and other councilors with the ridership chart by email.
• Staff will issue an RFP for an electronic health record to support billing for clinical services.
• The city manager said fuel costs will be revisited citywide later in the budget process, based on where things stand in June.
• The council's schedule changed: next week's session will cover fire, engineering and storm water, with police moved to May 20.

Read the full transcript