The Westbrook City Council, in a special council meeting and first reading, unanimously approved a combined municipal and school spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The council, with a 7-0 vote, passed a $99.2 million proposal on Monday, April 28.

No resident spoke in the public comment segment about the budget before the vote. A second City Council reading is set for Monday, May 5, at a regular City Council meeting.

Mayor David Morse said the city assessor would set the tax rate later this summer. But Morse said the estimated tax rate looks like $15.32 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The estimate is up 3.86% from $14.75 for the current year.

It means taxes on a Westbrook home assessed at $341,500, the city’s median value, would rise $194.66, Morse said. Taxes would go up to $5,231.78 from the current $5,037.12 on the home value cited as an example.

City Councilor Victor Chau said residents experiencing difficulty in paying taxes should make sure they have the homestead exemption. “That will take a little bit off your taxes,” Chau said.

Chau also pointed out the city has a tax rebate program for eligible senior citizens.

The total budget includes $36.7 million in municipal spending, up $962,064, or 2.69%; $54 million for schools, including $621,956 for adult education; tax increment financing is at $6.4 million; and the Cumberland County tax levied to Westbrook is $2.1 million.

Superintendent Peter Lancia, following the meeting, cited collaboration between the School Committee and City Council during the months-long budget process as helpful.

City Councilor Jennifer Munro served as the board’s monitor of the School Committee as education officials developed their spending plan.

Lancia said collaboration between the boards has steadily improved in recent years. “We’re really thankful,” Lancia said.

The school budget, up $3 million and representing a 5.95% increase over the current one, now will go to voters in a validation referendum in June.

Last year, voters passed a $51 million Westbrook school budget in July after first rejecting a $51.7 million request in a June referendum.

Lancia plans to disseminate school budget details and conduct public informational meetings before this year’s referendum. “We don’t want schools to be a secret,” Lancia said.

Munro made the motion to approve the overall city budget and City Councilor Michael Shaughnessy seconded the motion.

The city’s spending information can be viewed at westbrookmaine.com/823/FY-2025-2026-Budget.