WOODSTOCK – Selectmen and Town Manager Vern Maxfield released a preliminary 2004 budget of $1,171,941 Tuesday, an overall increase of $77,667.

Taxes will pay for $1,141,317 of the budget if it’s approved by voters at town meeting. The rest would be offset by state revenues and surplus funds.

Maxfield said the figures are only a preliminary draft, “But I think this will be close to what it will have to be.”

He said some proposed budget figures are estimates at this time, such as the SAD 44 assessment, estimated at $684,000, and the Oxford County tax at $63,672.

In breaking down the budget, Maxfield shows categories as follows:

• General government, $89,836, up $1,636.

• Property maintenance, $38,000, down $3,750.

• Road maintenance, $394,900, up $87,350.

• Protections, $64,956, down $7,000.

• Insurance, $89,728, down $6,978.

• Social services, $15,641, up $455.

• Solid waste, $105,000, up $10,000.

• Assessing, $37,000, up $16,000.

• Recreation, $11,300, down $1,000.

• Planning, $26,285, up $15,277.

Road maintenance is up largely due to the highway department’s efforts to upgrade roads that have needed work for some time. Assessing is up because a property revaluation is needed. The $10,000 added for solid waste disposal covers the spiraling costs associated with trash disposal. Planning is up to cover costs associated with joining with Greenwood to improve the Alder River dam in Locke Mills. The dam affects ponds and lakes in both towns.

To offset increases, selectmen OK’d the reductions in the other accounts.

If the selectmen hold the budget increase to $26,002, the tax rate increase would be 74 cents per each $1,000 of valuation $16.04 compared to the 2003 tax rate of $15.30.

Review will take place during the next several weeks before final figures are set in late February.