LEWISTON – Big budget books in hand, city councilors went home Thursday night to begin looking for places to trim the city’s $37.5 million budget.

Councilors got a summary that hit the budgetary highlights on March 23, but walked out of council chambers Thursday with two, three-inch-thick binders worth of financial details and department budgets.

“You have everything in your possession now to answer just about any question you might have,” Bennett said.

Councilors won’t meet again until April 15, when department heads will be on hand to answer questions.

Thursday, Bennett led councilors through a quick summary of the budget.

“You’ll notice that I’m skipping over a lot,” Bennett said. “That’s because those departments are pretty much flat compared to last year.”

Bennett’s budget calls for a tax rate increase of 55 cents for each $1,000 of property value – about $43 more each year on an $85,000 home.

In all, the budget calls for $1.97 million in new spending. About $624,000 of that is targeted to pay city debts and another $786,000, would go to salaries, health insurance, liability insurance and unemployment insurance.

Bennett said councilors should pay attention to both areas.

The city’s annual debt payments are scheduled to increase over the next few years before leveling out, due to past budget decisions.

“Last year, the council made a pretty radical decision to pay for capital projects out of tax revenues,” Bennett said. That means fewer things like roads and firetrucks would be purchased with borrowed money, and less debt would have to be paid in the future. Councilors will face that same decision this year.

Cities can’t escape paying for capital, he said.

“It’s a pay me now or pay me later situation,” Bennett said.

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