That's a Wrap! A Look Back at 2024

 

And that's a wrap! As the year winds down, we’re taking a moment to crunch some numbers—not the budget kind, but the ones that tell the story of the Town of Scarborough in 2024. From conserved land to committee work and a major election, the numbers show just how much has happened in our active community. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:

$4.3 million:

Scarborough public damages (Town infrastructure) that were submitted to FEMA from January 10th and 13th storm damage. Town staff worked long days and nights during the back-to-back January storms that brought historic tides and flooding, particularly affecting coastal neighborhoods. There was significant damage from flood waters to roads, a sanitary pump station, seawalls, and barriers. Natural disasters like the storms that occurred this January are a reminder of the vulnerability of our infrastructure and the fragility of being a coastal community. 

4:

Number of concepts recommended to the Town Council for consideration by the School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC). The committee was made up of 70+ community members interested in finding a revised solution to the aging school infrastructure after the former proposed project did not receive voter support. This first phase met from February to June and resumed with Phase II in the fall. 

$7,821,453,300:

New total taxable valuation base of the Town, as identified in the latest revaluation. A revaluation is the process of updating all property values in town to reflect their current market value (i.e., to maintain reasonable estimates of what each property could sell for on the open market). The revaluation occurred this spring, five years after the last revaluation, in order to remain in compliance with State law. The new total taxable valuation is an increase of $2,678,870,124 from last year.

25 Yards:

Length of the proposed lap pool included in the Community Center Feasibility Study. The Study was presented to the Town Council in late August after several months of work by the Ad Hoc Community Center committee and its consultants. The purpose of the study was to identify program needs (from community input), select sites and create a conceptual layout, and make a final report with projected costs. The programming portion of the study revealed a strong desire for a lap pool sufficient for competitive high school swimming as well as a recreation pool that could host swim lessons and aquatherapy. A lap pool was an anchor of the study from the beginning, and committee members conducted Midcoast facility site visits to assess their use of pools and other components of recreation centers.

23.7%:

Percentage of Population age 65 and older in Scarborough, according to 2023 estimates from the American Community Survey (released in December 2024). We are the 10th oldest community in Cumberland County. Of the coastal communities in Cumberland County, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Freeport, Harpswell and Long Island have higher percentages of residents 65 and older. Scarborough's median age hit 48.4 in 2023. 

91:

Affordable housing units completed in Scarborough this spring/summer. Village Commons is an Avesta Housing redevelopment project at the site of the former Oak Hill public safety complex on Route 1 for older adults with low incomes. Jocelyn Place, a South Portland Housing Authority project near the Little Dolphin plaza, is also an income-limited apartment complex for ages 55+. These affordable housing projects are impactful to the vision for Scarborough to provide much needed housing at a time when the state of Maine is experiencing higher costs of living and limited housing stock. Addressing affordable housing was a goal of the Town Council this year and last, as well as an issue of concern for residents. In the 2023 community survey, 41% of residents indicated affordable housing as one of the most significant issues they think Scarborough will face over the next five years.

81:

Town Council and council committee meetings. The Town Council meets twice monthly year-round (once in July and August) and councilors are also appointed to six standing Council committees. In 2024, there were 23 Council meetings and 18 Council workshops to gather further information in preparation for future agenda items. The Finance committee met 14 times, followed by Communications, Ordinance, Appointments, and Rules & Policies. All Council committee meetings are open to the public.

23%:

Amount of Town of Scarborough that is conserved land, according to the recently published Open Space Plan. The plan was developed by Maine-based landscape architecture, GIS, and planning firm Viewshed and will provide the Town with a set of conservation priorities to achieve its 30x30 goal (to conserve 30% of land by 2030). 2,200 acres (7% of Town area) are needed to accomplish this.

82%:

Voter turnout for the November election, equating to a total of 15,270 ballots cast. Just over half of these were cast through absentee ballot. Additionally, there were approximately 700 residents who registered to vote on Election Day.