The start of a new school year has arrived and Fall is approaching! There is more on the horizon, too. Town Council has a meeting tonight (agenda here) and will be discussing potential questions to be included on the November 2 municipal election ballot. Additionally, a community-wide survey is planned to be mailed to select households this fall, recreational programs are reopening for kids, teens, and seniors, and we remain vigilant amid COVID-19 changes. Read on for details!

Town of Scarborough is hiring! Browse our various part-time, seasonal, and full-time positions.

Labor Day is on Monday, September 6. Town offices will be closed.

Trash/recycling collection will remain on schedule. There are no changes to the curbside collection schedule for the week of September 6-10.

The Revenue Office in Town Hall will have a delayed opening on Wednesday, September 8. It will open at 9:00am instead of 8:00am due to internal training.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day: September 11 (8am-Noon)

This month, Scarborough Public Works is hosting the final Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day of the season. Safely dispose of your household hazardous waste materials on Saturday, September 11, 2021 (8am-Noon) at Biddeford Public Works: 371 Hill Street, Biddeford. This is a free service to residents of Scarborough (proof of residency is required) and hosted in collaboration with Saco and Biddeford. Click Here to view flyer for a list of accepted materials.

The 2021-2022 property tax rate has been set by the Town Assessor. The Town of Scarborough’s new tax rate is now set at $15.02 per $1,000 of property value for the 2022 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. The new rate applies to the taxes due on October 15, 2021 and March 15, 2022. Fall tax bills were mailed last week and can be paid online. If you have a billing or payment question, please contact our Tax Collections department at (207) 730-4010.

The final tax rate came in lower than was expected at the time of budget approval in June. Click Here to read more about the process that led to the final rate.

The tax rate is determined by taking the total Tax Levy (combined municipal, school, and county budgets minus all revenues) and dividing it by the total Taxable Valuation. In short, Tax Levy/Taxable Valuation = Tax Rate. Part of finalizing the total taxable valuation entails the Assessing department reviewing properties each year as of April 1st, the state-mandated assessment date, for any changes prior to finalizing assessments. 2021 assessments and property details are available on our online database. Please note that because assessments are as of April 1, any changes to a property since then (including changes in ownership) will not be reflected online.

The annual tax bill for each property is calculated by multiplying the taxable value by the tax rate. For example, a home valued at $300,000 would owe $4,506 in property taxes for fiscal year 2022. (300,000 x 0.01502 = $4,506).

Nearly all of the state of Maine is categorized as having "high" or "substantial" levels of community transmission of COVID-19. The U.S. CDC advises people in counties with these levels of transmission to wear face coverings in public indoor settings. U.S.CDC updates information daily (Click Here to view). Face coverings are recommended in Town offices. We continue to monitor State trends and follow CDC guidance as any changes occur.

September is National Preparedness Month, and this year's theme is "Prepare to Protect – Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love”. Here are a few tips from our Fire Department to be prepared if disaster strikes:

→Make a Plan: Know which types of disasters could affect our area and make a plan for what your family/household will do in an emergency situation. Have a plan and practice it.

→Build a Kit: Gather supplies that will last for several days after a disaster, using Centers for Disease Control recommendations.

→Home Preparedness: Know the risk of disasters in our area and make your home more resilient. Check your insurance coverage to make sure it is up-to-date.

→Teach Youth About Preparedness: Talk to your kids about preparing for emergencies and what to do in certain situations.

Check out FEMA’s www.ready.gov website for more information. If you have questions, contact Fire Chief Thurlow at mthurlow@scarboroughmaine.org or 730-4201.

The Town of Scarborough is making continued improvements to its communications efforts, including revisiting the Town website since it was last updated in July 2020. Share your feedback in a 5-minute website survey so we can gather more information on how frequently the website is used by residents, what information is most sought after, and more. This will inform us as to how best we can make improvements moving forward.

This survey will close on September 10. Please share your thoughts before then!

Community Services has announced their September programs for seniors! The brochure with full details is available online or for pick-up at the Library or Community Services Hub. Activities include walking at the park, Bingo and movie matinees at the Hub, and outings.

How to Register

Over the Phone: Call us at 207-730-4150 and pay by debit or credit card

In Person: Stop by the Hub at 418 Payne Road on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays from 10am-2pm to register and pay in person. We accept debit, credit, cash, or check in person.

Open 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday through Friday starting September 8

New this Fall! Our Plover Program at the Hub is a highly-anticipated enrichment program open to children ages 4 and 5 entering Grade K in school year 2022-23. The program will work towards the social, physical, and academic skills needed for Kindergarten in a combination of free-time play and group activities. It will be held on Monday-Friday mornings. We will be holding an Open House at 418 Payne Road for interested families to be able to explore the space and meet our staff on Tuesday, September 7, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

Community Services is offering additional recreational programs, including E-Sports Fall League, Field Hockey, Basketball Shooting Clinics, and Fall Cross Country. These extracurriculars are a great opportunity for your children to begin exploring their interests, building skills, and developing social connections outside of the classroom. Many programs start in early September, but it’s not too late to sign up! Click Here to view a flip-through version of the digital brochure.

Thank you to all who joined us for our annual Summerfest on Friday, August 20. Our Police, Fire, and Community Services staff were so happy to connect with you all. We hope you enjoyed the live music, food trucks, nonprofit vendors, and more! This is a favorite summer tradition and we were thrilled to be able to host it again this year for our community.

After 32 years with the Town of Scarborough, Deputy Finance Director Gina Clukey is retiring! Gina began her career with the Town in 1989 as an account clerk in the Finance Department. She soon became the bookkeeper, then Accounting Supervisor, before becoming the Deputy Finance Director. In addition, she is also the Town’s Treasurer and Deputy Tax Collector.

Gina has had many accomplishments over the course of her career. She was critical in implementing new accounting software and policies, and contributed to work that has led the Town of Scarborough to receive a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Finance Reporting since 2005. Gina has also been an active member of employee and conference committees.

It goes without saying that Gina has earned her retirement! She will spend it doing what she loves: going to camp with her husband, floating on the lake, motorcycle riding, quilting, gardening, and doing crafts. She also plans to spend more time with her daughter, granddaughter, and her two dogs. We wish her all the best in her post-career years.

This year marks the 20th year anniversary of the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001. Scarborough Fire Department is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive in honor of everyone who lost their lives that day. The American Red Cross is currently experiencing a severe blood shortage, and there is a critical need for blood at this time.

The blood drive will be held in the new Public Safety Building in the training classroom on Saturday, September 11 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Please consider donating (sign up in advance through the link below).

Scarborough Town Council

Paul Johnson, Chair • Don Hamill, Vice Chair • Jonathan Anderson • Jean-Marie Caterina • John Cloutier • Ken Johnson

Town Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7 PM. Visit our online calendar for links to attend and view agendas.

Last week, Scarborough Public Schools launched a redesigned website, upgrading from a site that was originally created in 2014. With continued changes to CDC guidelines and a thorough in-person reopening plan affecting parents and students, the need for an easy-to-use website as a point of information has become essential and was prioritized for the start of the school year.

Prior to the new website launch, the Schools utilized Google Sites for both the district and individual school sites. This was the same platform as the Town of Scarborough site up until July 2020, when the Town site was upgraded to a newer version.

On Tuesday, August 31, Scarborough Public Schools (SPS) welcomed their entire staff back for another school year! This year the staff was greeted outside on the turf field by the district’s new superintendent Geoff Bruno. Along with Mr. Bruno’s uplifting welcome, the team was inspired and motivated by Scarborough’s Board of Education Chair, April Sither, who herself is a Scarborough alumnus. The group also got a chance to meet the new staff that will be joining them this upcoming school year, as well as congratulating the dedicated professionals who have achieved significant milestones with SPS. Michelle DuEst, President of Scarborough’s Education Foundation and Krystal Ash-Cuthbert, President of the Scarborough Education Association, also welcomed the group to a new school year and are both looking forward to working with and supporting the SPS team. 

Scarborough Public Schools is excited to welcome students back to school full time! Our goal is to safely resume in-person learning for all Scarborough students. We are doing so with the following in place:

→Universal Masking

→Facilities Preparation

→Cafeteria & Transportation Precautions

→Contact Tracing Measures

→Positive Case Response Plan

→Voluntary Pooled Testing Program

The Library will be closed Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day.

New Hours Beginning September 7!

Monday – 9am to 5pm • Tuesday – 9am to 7pm • Wednesday – 9am to 7pm • Thursday – 9am to 7pm • Friday – 9am to 5pm • Saturday – 9am to 5pm • Sunday – Closed

Visit the Library to see the Scarborough Bicentennial Quilt Exhibit, a collaborative project with the Scarborough Historical Society and Maine Humanities Council. The assembled quilt is the handiwork of 40+ quilters and is displayed on a bed owned by Gov. William King, Scarborough native and Maine’s first Governor. View during regular Library hours.

As of August 30, masks are required throughout the Library and social distancing is strongly encouraged. Now that school is starting up again, please be aware of the following:

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