The Biddeford municipal budget for fiscal year 2026 comes with a 5.73% increase over the current budget. The budget was officially adopted by the Biddeford City Council on May 9.

The anticipated tax rate for the fiscal year beginning in July is $15.03, an 81-cent increase over the current budget. The owner of a home valued at the median price of $382,350 for Biddeford can expect to pay $5,746.72 in property taxes, an increase of $309.70.

Cost drivers for the FY26 budget include modernizing city services with new technology, adding key staffing to better serve residents, and making investments, such as going paperless in the codes office.

“This year’s budget reflects our commitment to investing in Biddeford’s future while keeping a close eye on long-term value for taxpayers,” Biddeford Mayor Martin Grohman said.

During the budget process, council President Liam LaFountain advocated for adding to the city’s capital budget, adding critical support for the Public Works and Recreation departments, Grohman said.

The budget will also support full staffing for the city’s Police and Fire departments, and a field lister in the assessing office to capture new commercial value that Grohman said will ultimately ease the tax burden for single-family homes.

The budget also expands support for community institutions, with increased funding for McArthur Library and first-time funding for Biddeford Community Gardens, an organization that operates four gardens throughout the city.

“We provide our community with safe, green growing spaces to grow food for their families,” Biddeford Community Gardens Director Holly Culloton said.

Each garden has working days where community members can learn to grow produce, flowers and herbs, with the goal of ultimately providing food security for all Biddeford residents.

Biddeford Community Gardens partners with Biddeford High School to provide agricultural education and any extra produce grown is donated to three local food service organizations serving the Biddeford community.

“We invite the community to come together and visit our gardens and join us,” Culloton said.

The City Council also discussed adding a line item in the budget for Seeds of Hope, which provides services and an overnight shelter to those experiencing homelessness in Biddeford.

“It’s been working well,” Grohman said. “It’s given them a lot of certainty in the way they run their operations.”

LaFountain also advocated for continuing funding for Seeds of Hope.

“It’s getting people housed and getting them inside. It’s also helping people get permanent housing,” LaFountain said. “I think we should budget for this.”

The fiscal year 2026 budget will work alongside the Biddeford school budget, which residents will vote on Tuesday, June 10.

“It’s a budget that meets today’s needs for our growing, thriving community, while laying the groundwork for a stronger, more efficient, cost-effective tomorrow,” Grohman said.