ELLSWORTH — The local tax burden is projected to increase, largely due to the city’s share of the Regional School Unit 24 (RSU 24) budget.

The City Council held its final budget workshop Monday night. The total proposed net budget, which is the amount to be raised through taxes, is $16,543,358.

That figure includes municipal and school spending.

If the budget is approved, the tax rate will be 15.49 mills, a .93 percent increase. That would make an annual tax bill $186 higher for a property valued at $200,000.

The city’s share of the RSU K-12 budget is $9.6 million. That represents an increase of $636,051 or 7.1 percent.

“You’re paying more because the state and feds are kicking in less,” said RSU 24 Business Manager David Bridgham.

He explained that coastal Maine communities have been hard-hit by the state’s Essential Programs and Services funding formula. The formula uses two-year-old data on student population and state valuation to determine how much a community should spend on education.

The state also has increased the tax rate expectation for communities.

Overall, the total RSU budget is up 2 percent.

That is largely due to the loss of $682,000 in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Education Jobs Fund money, which was used to pay transportation salaries and benefits.

“Otherwise our budget’s flat,” said Superintendent Suzanne Lukas.

City councilors expressed frustration with Ellsworth’s rising appropriation.

“I don’t like the numbers, but it’s not your fault,” City Council Chairman Gary Fortier told Lukas.

“It’s up to the citizens to accept your budget — not us,” he added.

For more of the latest news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.