NEW GLOUCESTER – A public hearing on Monday drew less than a half dozen citizens to comment on New Gloucester’s proposed $3,628,934 municipal budget for 2004-05.

The meeting, lasting 8 minutes, set a record.

The budget request is offset by revenues expected to total $2,461,415. Therefore, taxpayers will be asked to raise $1,167,519.

The budget does not include the town’s share to fund SAD 15 and Cumberland County government.

Nancy and Edgar Wilcox told the budget group they objected to using taxpayer funds to defray the costs for a volunteer recognition dinner and a Christmas party and summer picnic to recognize employees. The proposal calls for $6,000 for the volunteers and $3,000 for employees.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” said Nancy Wilcox. “I’ve been doing volunteer work all my life and never did it for the idea that someone had to take me out to dinner.”

“I figured it was an insult to fund a Christmas party for town employees,” said Edgar Wilcox.

Carleton Wilcox suggested a plan be developed to benchmark what the town spends per mile to maintain town roads compared to other area towns.

The Budget Committee also agreed with selectmen to fund $2,000 to renew the Sabbathday Lake Conservation Corps this summer, which will work in partnership with Royal River Watershed Youth Conservation Corps.

The town’s Budget Committee, which held the meeting, completed reviews of 40 municipal accounts in the past month as town staff worked on a final budget total.

Voters will be asked to approve the budget on May 3.

The budget includes funding a full-time police officer from either the Maine State Police or Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department at $115,000.

In addition, a new plan calls for paying for contracted services to administer the General Assistance Program.

Roughly $325,000 is expected in taxes from October Corp. as part of the Pineland tax increment financing plan. That TIF, set up by the town, allows all taxes paid by October Corp., the real estate arm of Libra Foundation of Portland, to be sheltered.

Town Manager Rosemary Kulow said preliminary figures require taxpayers to raise $4,774,272 to fund SAD 15, municipal and county budgets.