Washington County officials are considering what to do about the county's $8 million debt after local voters rejected a bond referendum this week.
Brian Schuth is the chair of the county's budget advisory committee and Eastport city manager. He called the referendum loss profoundly disappointing, and said its frustrating that the financial problems caused by poor accounting practices weren't detected a few years earlier.
"That we'd merely be broke instead of in the hole," Schuth said. "And while that would hurt, we wouldn't be facing the sort of existential crisis we have right now that clouds everything."
Schuth said it's not clear what the options are now and no one has any answers about if or how the state might step in to help.
"When people ask, 'What's your plan B or Plan C, or anything else?' I mean, that's the worst case scenario that we essentially, to me, it feels like we throw ourselves on the on the mercy of the state," he said. "And, yeah, that would be irresponsible."
Under Maine law, counties can't declare bankruptcy. State Sen. Marianne Moore has proposed a bill that would allow the county to declare bankruptcy, but the Legislature can't consider the bill until it convenes in January.
Schuth said if the county now adds the entire $8 million debt to the 2026 budget, that would represent a 50% increase over last year.
