Concerned Taxpayers of Scarborough, Maine

10/29/2026

10/28/2026

⏳ Time is running out... the last day of early voting at Town Hall is Thursday, October 29! Hours are 7am until 5pm.

🗳️ Vote the quick and easy way!

💡 Please consider DENISE HAMILTON for one of your votes for Town Council. As a private citizen, she has demonstrated the commitment of time, energy and concern for taxpayers' needs that we like to see in members of the Town Council.

Thanks for staying informed and involved! And voting!

10/26/2026

📶 Last call for information on the Radio Project tonight at 6pm! 📶

The November 3 election includes a municipal referendum question asking if voters approve the authorization of up to $6 million in Town bonds to fund the cost of upgrades to a multi-department radio system. The total project cost is expected to be about $12.4 million ($9.2 million from Scarborough/$3.2 million from Old Orchard Beach, determined by a per capita assessment); the Town has requested a $5 million Congressionally Directed Spending grant to meet the remaining cost not covered locally. The Town will probably not know if the grant is approved until the spring.

There is NO DEBATE that the current system is antiquated, difficult to maintain and needs a significant upgrade. Our public safety employees deserve modern, reliable equipment for their protection and for the benefit of all residents in emergency situations.

Here are several impacts of the proposed system that residents should be aware of:

💵 $6 million bond issue.

💵 Annual principal and interest payments on the bonds: $730,000 (but likely higher due to recent interest rate increases).

💵 Annual new costs of operating and maintaining the upgraded system: $250,000 to $350,000.

💵 Total new costs of $1.0 million to $1.1 million in the operating budget every year.

🗼 The proposed system requires a new 180-foot tall radio tower (like the current one at the Public Safety Building) to be constructed at both the Dunstan and North Scarborough Fire Stations.

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Your last opportunity to learn about and ask questions about the Radio Project proposal will be:

🗓️ Monday October 26, 2026
🕕 6:00pm - 7:30pm
📍 Public Safety Building. For online viewing/participation options, see the Town website.
ℹ️ Staff will present the project and leave time for questions.

Thanks for staying informed and involved! And for voting!!

10/18/2026

📱 We've heard Town officials mention the possibility of parts of Scarborough getting better cell phone reception if the phone companies put cellular antennas up on the new radio towers. Key word there is "POSSIBILITY!"

There are at least two issues with this...

🗼 Do we even know the proposed towers have been designed to support cell antennas? We're clearly not engineers, but we've been told that a tower that will support both cell antennas and the radio antenna would be more expensive to build than one for just the radio antenna. If that's the case, are we planning to build the more expensive tower in the HOPE of future cell antenna leasing?

🗼 Any new cell antennas are totally up to the cellular providers. The presence of a new tower MIGHT be enticing to them but it will very much be a dollars-and-cents decision by them.

Here are a couple of memory-joggers of past vague POSSIBILITIES that have been dangled in front of taxpayers:

🌈 The pool/community center that was going to be part of The Downs.

🦄 The donation of land for the new school at The Downs.

Don't count on improved cell reception as a benefit of the $6.0 million radio project bond at the November 3 referendum! It's a "possibility!"

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🗓️ Here are the remaining opportunities to hear about the project:
👉 Monday October 19, 2026
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Conversations with Councilors - North Scarborough Fire Station

👉 Saturday October 24, 2026
10:30am-12:00pm
Conversations with Councilors - Public Safety Building

👉 Monday October 26, 2026
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Radio Project Public Information Session - Public Safety Building
Staff will present the project and leave time for questions.

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Thanks for staying informed and involved!

10/13/2026

🗼🗼 Coming soon! 🗼🗼 Massively tall towers at the Dunstan and North Scarborough Fire Stations! They're an important part of the proposed $9.2 million Town radio system that's on the November 3 ballot.

We talk a lot about the Town's character these days and how it's being eroded. Well, if there were ever character-killers, these towers are them! One will be located at the Dunstan Fire Station and another at the North Scarborough Fire Station. Each will be the same size as the current radio tower next to the Public Safety building -- 180 feet tall.

The Town has a comprehensive and well-documented process for approving new radio and cell towers, involving Planning Board action and public input. Town-owned towers, like those being proposed, are NOT exempt from this process to the best of our knowledge But as things stand now, voters will be asked to approve the towers BEFORE the required Planning Board process occurs.

🤔 How does that work? Isn't it completely backwards, no matter how you look at it? How did the public get cut out of this critical approval step?

Imagine the amount of public scrutiny if Verizon Wireless or T-Mobile were proposing 180' towers in similar locations in Dunstan and North Scarborough.

By the way, the Town has talked about "co-locating" cell services like Verizon and T-Mobile on the proposed towers. So this will be a very convenient way for the cell providers to get access to monstrously tall towers without a bit of public approval process. Now there's a sweet deal for them!

Now that early voting is well underway, the Town is obviously scrambling to answer some significant questions about the project and its costs. A list of planned public meetings is in yesterday's post. Try to attend one if possible.

👍 Please make sure you have enough information to make an informed decision on the referendum question before voting!

10/12/2026

ℹ️ 🗳️ Here's more info on the new $9.2 million Public Safety radio system Scarborough residents will be voting on on November 3. In our last post we reported the cost of the individual radios -- between $2,000 and $10,000 EACH! With the majority of them being between $4,000 and $7,000 EACH!

This chart shows an estimate of how many radios each department will get. It's still being reviewed and adjusted, but Town officials expect more than 500 radios will be included in the final system purchase.

💵 There's no doubt we need to make a major investment to ensure that police/fire/EMS can keep themselves and all of us safe in emergency situations. Much of the current equipment is at end-of-life and difficult to repair, and the system relies on outdated technology.

But there are major UNANSWERED questions:

➡️ Is the proposed solution the most cost-effective one for Scarborough?

➡️ What are the additional annual operating costs of the new system?

➡️ How does this emergency radio system relate to other radio and cell phone systems in place in departments such as Community Services, Public Works and the School Department? How many new radios are being added to those departments?

Unfortunately, Town officials are playing catch-up on informing residents about this system. And early voting is already underway prior to the November 3 referendum! A list of opportunities to learn about the radio project before voting is provided below.

We hope you'll learn about the proposed system and the $6 million bond issue that will fund it BEFORE you vote!

Thanks for staying INFORMED and involved! And for voting on before November 3!

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Opportunities to learn and ask questions about the proposed radio system:

Thursday October 15, 2026
5:00pm - 7:30pm
Fire Department Open House - Public Safety Building
Staff will be available to answer any questions regarding the radio project.

Monday October 19, 2026
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Conversations with Councilors - North Scarborough Fire Station
Staff will be available to answer any questions regarding the radio project.

Saturday October 24, 2026
10:30am-12:00pm
Conversations with Councilors - Public Safety Building
Staff will be available to answer any questions regarding the radio project.

Monday October 26, 2026
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Radio Project Public Information Session - Public Safety Building
Staff will present the project and leave time for questions.
We will stream it live on YouTube and publish the session after for viewing
A Zoom Option for remote questions to the presenters will be available.

10/08/2026

🐓 Early voting has begun at Town Hall! 🐓

As you know, this year's Town Council election is hotly contested. Seven of our fellow residents are running to fill three open seats. We sincerely appreciate all seven for stepping forward to fill this demanding responsibility.

So which of the candidates will best represent the interests of taxpayers?

While we do not endorse specific candidates, we suggest that you carefully consider one candidate: Denise Hamilton stands out as having consistently demonstrated a commitment to achieving reasonable taxes. She has made constructive public comments at numerous Town Council and Committee meetings over the past few years and always kept the interests of Scarborough taxpayers as an important priority.

While other candidates have cited taxes as an important goal, we are not in a position to judge their commitment to that goal.

❓ 🤔 So who do I vote for?

This year there is a convenient way to get a very quick overview of the background and visions of the Town Council candidates. The Portland Press Herald (perhaps in a welcome attempt to recapture some journalistic credibility) has created a website that allows you to get a short but meaningful look at each candidate. The website is free and open to everyone, not just subscribers to the newspaper. A link to the online "Voter Guide" is posted in the comment that follows.

To find the candidates who will be on your state and local ballot, just enter your home address and scroll down to the Town Council section. Then click on each candidate for their information. (Your address is only used to determine the candidates who will be on your ballot; it will not be stored.) In 10 minutes or so, you'll have enough information to make an informed decision.

👉 A reminder: Although there are three open Town Council seats, there is no requirement to vote for three. If only one or two candidates meet your needs, you can just vote for them. This would be better than voting for someone you're not sure about and later discovering they are really blank-checkers!

🗳️ Early in-person voting is happening now through October 29 at Town Hall from 7am to 5pm, Monday through Thursday. Voting will not be available on Monday, October 12, Indigenous Peoples Day.

Electing the right Town Councilors is the most important thing we can do to ensure that Scarborough remains the livable and affordable community that we cherish. Please take the time to select and vote for candidates that will make that happen.

10/06/2026

What's on your mind, Scarborough-wise?

Do you have a question about a Town project? Or a concern about a Town-related issue? Or a compliment you'd like to share about Town staff or programs?

Well, that opportunity is here! A new series of "Conversations with Councilors" is underway NOW! These are INFORMAL (and unrecorded) neighborhood meetings where 2-3 Town Council members sit down with residents to listen to our concerns and questions. It's an opportunity for those of us who aren't comfortable voicing our thoughts in the more formal setting of Town Council and Committee meetings.

Here's the remaining schedule:

👉 Thursday, October 8: Blue Point School, 6:30pm

👉 Thursday, October 15: Pleasant Hill School, 6:30pm

👉 Monday, October 19: North Scarborough Fire Station, 6:30pm

👉 Saturday, October 24: Public Safety Building, 10:30am **Weekend morning session**

This is a great opportunity to connect informally with the folks who are representing YOU! We hope to see you there!

10/05/2026

$10,000 for a single portable radio???

The November 3 referendum question for the $6 million replacement of the Town's public safety radio system includes about $1.7 million for between 500-550 handheld and mounted radios. Those are big numbers!

✅ Yes, we want all our Fire, Police and EMT folks to have the best equipment that will keep them -- and all of us -- safe.

✅ Yes, the current public safety radio system is old technology, difficult to maintain and needs a significant upgrade.

✳️ But... we also want to be sure that the upgrade is the most cost-effective option available in order to minimize the burden on taxpayers.

The referendum includes a cost of $1.7 million for 500-550 individual radios costing between $2,000 and $10,000 each. (Initially, more than 1,000 radios were part of the proposal!) About 375 of the radios will be for the Police and Fire Departments. Those radios require the most features and capabilities, so most of them will cost between $4,000 and $7,000 each! And some will apparently cost up to $10,000.

The total cost of Scarborough's share of this joint project with Old Orchard Beach is $9.2 million. After our $3.6 million share of Federal grant funding, taxpayers will be asked to approve a $6 million bond issue to cover the balance of the project cost.

😲 Surprisingly, the Town's Finance Committee never reviewed the costs of this project in any meaningful way. But it's not too late.

Make sure you get ALL THE FACTS before you vote on or before November 3! We'll provide more details in the coming days. Like details of the new 180-foot towers at both the Dunstan and North Scarborough Fire Stations. And the current breakdown of the number of radios by department. Stay tuned!

Thanks for staying informed and involved!

09/30/2026

Did you know there will be a $6 million bond issue on the November 3 Town ballot?

It's to pay for an upgrade to the Town's radio system used primarily by the police, fire, public works and school departments in emergency situations.

Here are a few basics you should know about the proposed upgrade project:

• The total cost of the system is about $12.4 million.

• It's a joint project with Old Orchard Beach. That's because OOB currently purchases its emergency dispatch services from Scarborough. Scarborough's share of the total project cost is $9.2 million; OOB's share is $3.2 million.

• A $5 million federal grant has been applied for. If it is received, Scarborough's share of the final cost will be about $5.6 million and OOB's will be about $1.8 million. The Town is cautiously optimistic that the grant will be approved but acknowledges that it is not a sure thing.

WHY IS THE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM UPGRADE PROPOSED?

• The existing system uses an outdated technology, which results in difficulty in maintaining it as replacement parts are harder to obtain.

• There are gaps in coverage in certain areas and types of buildings.

• There are connectivity challenges among existing departmental radio systems.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT?

• 800 MHz P25 trunked radio network

• Public Safety Building: existing 180' tower

• Dunstan Fire Station: NEW 180' tower

• North Scarborough Fire Station: NEW 180' tower

• Black Point Fire Station: REPLACE existing 80' monopole with 100' tower

• OOB Public Works Department: NEW 180' tower

• Maine Medical Center: ADD rooftop antennas

• Radios (portable, mobile, other): 605 total

By the way, EACH radio costs between $2,000 and $4,000 😲! The number of radios we're planning to purchase hasn't been finally determined, but the minimum appears to be 500 or so. We'll share more information as we get it.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR TAXES?

We estimate the annual operating budget will increase by about $730,000 per year from the principal and interest payments on the $6 million bond. In addition, preliminary estimates of operating costs of the system are $250,000 to $350,000 PER YEAR to maintain the new system (such as licensing and maintenance costs). That's easily more than $1 million per year in annual operating costs. We have requested a better estimate of those costs from the Town.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS $12 MILLION PROJECT?

• See the 2/18/26 Town Council workshop on the project.

• See the discussion at the 8/19/26 Town Council meeting on the project.

• See the presentation on the project under the Stay Connected/What's Happening tab on the Town website.

Links to these items are given in the comments below.

BONUS INFORMATION FOR TECHIES:

Current radio communications system: 150 MHz Analog VHF system

Proposed radio communications system: 800 MHz P25-Phase 2 Digital Simulcast trunked system.

We'll keep you posted as we learn more. Thanks for staying informed and involved!