NORWAY – Town Manager David Holt presented his proposed budget of $5.8 million for 2004-05 on Thursday, calling it straight forward.

Holt’s recommendations are $19,418 less than the amount appropriated last year and $161,494 less than department requests.

The overall budget includes $209,488 for county tax – a $10,961 increase over the previous year, and $2,639,046 for SAD 17, a $138,660 increase from 2003-2004. The SAD 17 budget is an estimate.

Holt noted that last year his proposed budget was less than the amount approved by selectmen and less than what was passed at town meeting.

“Then, I had to listen to people bitch all year long about taxes,” Holt said. “People that weren’t at town meeting. If lower taxes are what people want, then we can certainly have them. We’ll just have to live with less.”

Holt and selectmen agreed that the expenditures of the town were indeed controlled by the few that attend town meeting.

“I’d like to encourage people in town to come to selectmen or Budget Committee meetings,” Selectmen Chairman William Damon said.

Holt and selectmen wished the eight members of the 14-person Budget Committee well in their job of reviewing the 16 areas of expenditures.

The Budget Committee elected Irene Millett and Bruce Cook as co-chairmen and set a schedule of April 6, 13 and 15 for meetings to hear department head requests. The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. at the town office.

The department heads will present their budgets to selectmen and committee members simultaneously. Then, the committee and selectmen deliberate the merits of each separately.

Holt said that even though his request for town expenses is 0.33 percent less than the previous year, the overall town budget will increase about 5.2 percent.

Holt said that even though he suggested spending less the town would be taking in quite a bit less than the previous year.

He said the town used to generate $300,000 to $400,000 in surplus per year because of underestimating revenues and spending less than appropriated.

“Now it’s pretty tight and we estimate revenues tighter,” Holt said.

Holt also said town investments were also earning less because the interest rates have been lower than in the past.

One of the noticeable cuts Holt made was suggesting that the Police Department not fill the detective post vacated by Don Turmenne, when he left to pursue another career. It meant a $14,110 savings to the police budget, which was his salary minus increases, and $12,060 in the employee benefits account.

Holt’s plan shows the highway department increasing $11,552; the Fire Department increasing $9,410; and the municipal complex up $13,205.

Holt said the increases were to replace the boiler and get a new compressor for the air conditioning.

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