RUMFORD - The Finance Committee voted this week to cut police and fire department budget requests and increase those for the Greater Rumford Community Center and Black Mountain of Maine.

"Speaking as the chairman, the Finance Committee did a credible job trying to understand the budgets," Jolan Ippolito said. "They did a thoughtful job."

Selectmen last week approved a $7.3 million municipal budget that kept all 65 municipal employees in their jobs.

The Finance Committee's recommendation of a $7.14 million municipal spending plan will likely eliminate two positions each in the police and fire departments.

The Rumford Fire Department's budget request for $837,900 for 2008-2009 represents 6.9 percent less than this year's budget of $900,000.

Selectmen are recommending $799,900 for 2008-2009, which includes reducing the staff from 14 to 11 through attrition.

The Finance Committee is recommending $708,000, which will likely mean elimination of two positions, interim Chief Richard Coulombe said, and could mean shifts with only two full-time firefighters on duty, at times.

He said union contract issues may enter into the cuts, if voters approve the Finance Committee's recommendations.

Coulombe said it is unsafe to respond to a fire with only three firefighters.

"We'll still respond, but we won't be able to do anything until several call force members arrive. We would have to wait longer," he said.

For the Police Department, Chief Stacy Carter said he has asked for $929,000 for 2008-2009.

Selectmen are recommending $913,000.

The Finance Committee voted for $824,000, which would mean two vacancies for officers would not be filled.

Carter said the lower figure means the loss of two police officers, which would affect the department's response time.

"There would still be two people on patrol," he said.

The duties of the sergeants and detective lieutenant could be affected, he said.

He said he plans to look at a variety of restructuring models during the next few weeks, while lobbying to keep the full-time, 14-member force.

"The crime rate is higher in Rumford than in most towns its size, and Rumford has a large geographic area," he said. "We need to inform the citizens of what the level of service would be. A decrease in service would affect the nature of the community."

The Finance Committee added about $10,000 to the Greater Rumford Community Center budget, bringing it to $95,000, and upped the Black Mountain budget to $70,000. It also added $25,000 to the public works capital reserve fund.

While both total budgets proposed by the two panels fall under the state tax cap, Town Manager Jim Doar said it is possible that, depending on how residents vote on each article, townspeople could approve a budget higher than either that of the selectmen or the Finance Committee.

A public hearing on the proposed budgets will be held at 6 p.m. May 22 at Mountain Valley High School. Residents will vote on them June 10 at the American Legion Hall.