WEST PARIS – Town meeting voters on Saturday will have lots of choices when it comes to the proposed 2005 budget: recommendations from the selectmen as well as from the Budget Committee.
The annual town meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in the gymnasium at the Agnes Gray School.
Presentation of two budget proposals has become an annual tradition over the past several years. This year, the two boards are less than $12,000 apart, with the elected selectmen recommending a total budget of $658,595, compared to the advisory panel’s recommendation of $646,999.
The selectmen’s budget is $41,181 less than the 2004 spending plan.
The proposals also are down significantly from the $787,681 that came in through requests from department heads and social service organizations. To lower that amount the selectmen and Budget Committee members cut most articles over which they had control, with the largest cuts coming to about $50,000 from the Fire Department and library.
Both groups recommend using $281,000 from surplus to keep the tax rate down.
As to how the proposals compare to last year, Town Manager Donald Woodbury said, “If the budget passes as proposed by the selectmen and Budget Committee, we will see a 1 to 3 percent decrease from 2004. The selectmen and Budget Committee have shown they are trying their best to keep taxes down as much as possible, but it is up to the people from here.”
He noted that during the town meeting the people will be approving the municipal budget only, which doesn’t include the school assessment for SAD 17 or Oxford County taxes. Those amounts are not available at this time since those services operate on a fiscal year of July 1 to June 30, while the town runs its year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.
He said it’s expected that those figures from the school district and county will increase. Once those amounts are known, he believes the final budget will be around $1.3 million as it has been over the past few years.
Prior to the business session, municipal elections will be held, with Wayne Theofrastore and Chris Cooper running for a three-term on the Board of Selectmen. Also, Dale Piirainen will seek another three-year term on the SAD 17 school board and Shane Poland will run for another three-year term on the board of trustees for the West Paris Water District.
There also could be candidates nominated from the floor.
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