Only 63 votes decided the results of a Bar Harbor, Maine initiative that sought to do away with a hard cap on cruise visits to 1,000 passengers a day.
For months, the cruise port had been debating the issue, and a plan to repeal the cap on cruise passengers was ultimately shot down in the recent vote.
1,776 votes opposed the plan to remove the cap, and 1,713 votes were in favor of the repeal.
The cruise passenger limitation was passed in 2022, and a federal judge upheld the ordinance after pushback from local businesses in the area.
Two years ago the initiative was passed by 58%. The recent vote to keep the ordinance in place was upheld by only 50.9%.
The Town Council had the support of cruise lines and local businesses which helped push the vote even closer this time around.
Each cruise passenger that disembarks a cruise ship in Bar Harbor must be counted and logged until the 1,000 level is hit.
This cap on cruise passengers does not include crew members who are allowed to disembark freely.
Supporters of the cruise passenger cap say that this limitation gives visitors the freedom to enjoy the port without overcrowding.
However, business leaders are saying that the ordinance is essentially a ban on certain cruise ships, and many locally businesses rely on seasonal foot traffic to stay afloat.
The town itself benefits from cruise traffic as well. Last year alone almost $1.3 million was brought in through port and passengers fees.
It is not yet clear if the Town Council will bring future challenges to the ordinance, but Bar Harbor is already facing a challenge to how it enforces the 1,000 passenger limit.
