That's a Wrap: A Look Back at 2025

And that's a wrap! We’re taking a moment to crunch some numbers—the ones that tell the story of the Town of Scarborough in 2025. 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:

60: Number of committee members on the School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC), formed in February 2024 to advance a solution for Scarborough schools. The 18-month process (with over 51 meetings) resulted in a successful November referendum to move a $139.85 million school solution forward. The outcome was made possible by the dozens of involved community members who committed hundreds of hours to ensuring the process included rigorous community feedback and participation.

$1,200: The new maximum amount eligible seniors will receive as part of our Senior Property Tax Rebate program, effective beginning in fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026). This is up from $1,000, and was passed by the Town Council in October in an effort to ensure that the rebate amount keeps pace with inflation and with the recognition of increased tax burden due to the school project. There are approximately 500 participants in this program.

1.6: Mile length of the “gap” in the Eastern Trail currently being built to connect Scarborough to South Portland. The construction of this critical trail segment will close this gap and provide 16 continuous off-road miles reaching from South Portland’s Bug Light to Downtown Saco. Funding was sourced from the Town of Scarborough, City of South Portland, Maine Department of Transportation, Eastern Trail Alliance individual and corporate donors, and state and federal funds.

8: New firefighter positions created, as approved in the FY2026 budget process last spring. The new firefighters were hired in November and completed a rigorous 4-week probationary school to onboard them into the department. This is the largest number of firefighters hired at one time in the history of Scarborough Fire and will give us the ability to add a third, 24/7, advanced life support ambulance (it has been over 20 years since our second ambulance was added). This expansion of emergency medical services allows us to continue to provide the highest quality emergency medical response that our community has come to expect. 

328.5: Acres of land conserved this year with the use of land bond funds. The Land Acquisition Reserve Fund is funded by voter approved bond measures and was replenished with $6 million in a November 2024 referendum. This has allowed for the Scarborough Parks and Conservation Land Board to approve applications and make recommendations to the council. With the additional acreage conserved this year, Scarborough is now at 24% of total area conserved. To track progress as we work toward “30x30” (30% conserved by 2030), go to the Open Space Plan dashboard on the Town website.

5: Guiding principles directing the Transportation Assessment, formally accepted by the Town Council in July. The assessment, which was previously done in 2006, is intended to provide direction and focus for the Town's future capital spending related to traffic and transportation needs. It identified a primary goal, “to create a multi-modal transportation network that promotes health, safety, economic viability, quality of life, and accessibility for residents, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists”. The guiding principles to meet the goal, as listed in the assessment, are: 1. Implement complete streets; 2. Provide safety measures; 3. Create a multi-modal network; 4. Meet transportation demands; and 5. Encourage connectivity.

30: Roads listed in the “Priority” category of our Vulnerability Assessment. The Flood Vulnerability Assessment was approved by the Town Council in November and is a crucial step in developing a comprehensive understanding of Town vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies in the face of predicted environmental stressors affecting our community, such as sea-level rise and storm surge. As part of the assessment, 30 public roads were identified for adaptation prioritization based on their flood exposure and their consequences (not all roads are equal in terms of the impact they would have on the Town if they were to be inundated). The goal of prioritizing was to provide more information for the Town to use in the decision-making process for road adaptation projects. Explore the top 30 roads, their flood risk, and adaptation options on the Vulnerability Assessment StoryMap on our website.

22: Council meetings held throughout the year. The Town Council meets twice monthly (once in July and August) to discuss and vote on Town business, hear public input, evaluate recommendations from committees and make informed decisions on behalf of residents. They also held 16 workshops this year to learn more about particular topics, including the Town audit, beach fees, the Open Space Plan, budget, transportation, growth, and more.