lewistonmaine.gov

What is Lewiston, Maine's official website used for?

Lewiston, Maine's official website is the city's main online service desk: residents use it to pay utility bills, apply for city jobs, report a concern through a short form, sign up for text and email alerts via Notify Me®, and check election information such as early voting locations and the candidate list. It also carries municipal news (the revaluation project, public safety initiatives) and a city calendar listing meetings and events like the farmers market and Planning Board sessions.

Who it serves and how they use it

• Residents handle routine business: billing, reporting problems, tracking leaf collection and sand for seniors, and following council decisions.
• Voters find polling places, extended absentee voting hours and municipal candidate lists.
• Visitors and newcomers start with the Explore & Discover guide and department listings to find services and contacts.
• Property owners follow the revaluation project to understand how assessments are set.

A practical next step: if you're new to the city, open the Explore & Discover guide first, then bookmark the Online Services and Calendar pages for repeat tasks. For county, state or federal matters—vehicle registration, taxes, benefits—the city site will generally point you elsewhere rather than handle them itself; Maine's state portal at Maine.gov covers many of those.

How do I pay a utility bill or invoice online through the City of Lewiston website?

Start at the Online Services section on the homepage: the Utility Billing link ("Bill & invoice payments") is the entry point for paying a utility bill or invoice online. From there you'll be directed to the city's payment system, where you'll typically need your account or invoice number and a payment method. The homepage itself doesn't publish the accepted card types, processing fees or payment vendor, so confirm those on the payment page before submitting.

A practical walkthrough

1. Open Lewiston, ME - Official Website and find Online Services.
2. Choose Utility Billing for water/sewer-type bills, or the general payments link if you're paying a different city invoice.
3. Enter the account or invoice number exactly as printed on your bill.
4. Review any convenience fee shown before confirming, then save the confirmation number or receipt.

When to use it, and when not to

Online payment suits routine bills and anyone who wants a timestamped record without visiting or calling. If your bill is past due, disputed, or you're setting up service or closing an account, contact the city directly at the number in the site footer (27 Pine Street) so the payment is matched to the right action. Residents who prefer not to pay card fees online can use the in-person or mail options listed on the bill itself.

Quick comparison

As a next step, have your most recent bill in hand before starting, since the account number and amount due are the two details the payment page will ask for first.

How can I report a concern or issue to the City of Lewiston?

Use the Report a Concern form linked from the city homepage's Online Services section on Lewiston, ME - Official Website. The homepage presents it as a short form for submitting an issue to the city, alongside utility billing, job postings and Notify Me sign-ups.

What to prepare

• A clear description of the problem and its exact location (street address, intersection or landmark).
• The date you noticed it and whether it is ongoing or a one-time occurrence.
• Your contact details if you want a follow-up; otherwise the city may be unable to ask clarifying questions.
• A photo where relevant, such as a pothole, damaged sign or illegal dumping.

Choosing the right route

The Report a Concern form suits general municipal issues. For matters tied to a specific department, the site's Departments and Quick Links sections point to the relevant office, and the main contact line is 207-513-3000 (TTY/TDD 207-513-3007) at 27 Pine Street. Urgent safety matters, such as a road hazard or an in-progress crime, belong with emergency services rather than a web form.

As a practical next step, submit the form once with a precise location and description, then note the date. If the issue is not acknowledged within a reasonable period, call the city and reference your submission rather than filing duplicates, which can slow handling.

How do I find out about early voting, absentee voting, and municipal election candidates in Lewiston?

Start with the city's Elections page: Lewiston, ME - Official Website lists municipal candidates and election information, and the homepage's news area currently flags an early voting polling place (open 10/13–10/29) and extended absentee voting hours. The homepage calendar also carries dated entries such as "Absentee Voting ~ Extended Hours," which is the quickest way to confirm a specific day.

Practical order of steps

1. Elections page for the candidate list and general voting rules.
2. City calendar for early voting dates, extended hours and polling-place notices.
3. City Clerk's office by phone (207-513-3000) for absentee ballot requests, eligibility questions or a ballot's status.

For a concrete case: a Lewiston resident who will be away on election day should check the calendar for the absentee deadline, request a ballot through the clerk, and confirm the return method and cutoff rather than relying on a single news post. Voters who prefer in-person voting can use the early voting window and verify the polling location before going.

As general advice, not a feature of this site: bring acceptable ID, check your voter registration address in advance, and treat dates on a municipal calendar as authoritative over social media summaries.

What is the City of Lewiston property revaluation project and how does it affect my property taxes?

The revaluation project is the City of Lewiston's reassessment of all real and personal property so that taxes are spread fairly across properties at current market value. Maine law requires property to be assessed at "just value," and a revaluation resets each property's assessed value to reflect current conditions rather than outdated figures. The city maintains a dedicated revaluation website, linked from the homepage of Lewiston, ME - Official Website, where the project details and timeline are published.

How it can affect your tax bill

A revaluation changes your assessed value, not the total amount the city collects. The tax rate (mill rate) is adjusted so the overall levy stays roughly consistent with budget decisions. Practical effects:

• Your bill rises if your property's value increased more than the citywide average.
• Your bill falls or stays flat if your value rose less than average, or declined.
• The total collected is set by the city budget and voter-approved items, not by the revaluation itself.

What to do next

1. Check the revaluation site for your new assessed value and the effective date.
2. Compare it with recent sale prices of similar nearby homes; the city's assessing office can explain how your value was set.
3. If you disagree, ask about the formal abatement or appeal process and its deadlines—these are time-limited.
4. Recheck your exemptions (such as homestead) to confirm they still apply.

For context on how Maine assesses property generally, the state's property tax guidance from Maine.gov is a useful reference.

How can I sign up for Notify Me alerts and stay informed about city news and meetings?

Notify Me® is the city's text-and-email alert service, and it is the fastest way to hear about meetings, news and service changes without checking the homepage each day. On Lewiston, ME - Official Website, it appears under Online Services as "Notify Me® — Information through text & email." Open that link, enter your email address and any mobile number you want texts sent to, then choose the topics you care about. The site does not spell out the full topic list, so expect to pick from categories such as news, calendar and meeting notices; select only the ones you will act on.

A realistic routine

Suppose you mainly want advance warning of Planning Board and City Council meetings, plus seasonal notices like leaf collection. Subscribe to the calendar or meeting topics and the general news category, skip the rest, and keep the confirmation message you receive. When an alert arrives, open the linked agenda or announcement rather than relying on the subject line. If a meeting matters to you, check the calendar entry for the time and location, since rescheduled or relocated meetings are common.

For anyone who prefers browsing over inboxes, the same information is on the site itself: News & Announcements for items such as the revaluation project or early voting dates, and the calendar for meetings and events like the farmers market. The city's main number, 207-513-3000, covers questions the alerts do not answer.

Choosing how to stay informed

Start with email for meeting notices and add texts only for the one or two topics where timing really matters. Review your selections after a month and drop anything you have not read.