By Connie Footman,Special to the Sun Journal

DURHAM – Budget Committee Chairman Allan Purinton predicted that if voters follow the committee’s recommendations at town meeting on Friday, it will result in a tax hike of less than 1 percent, at most. The current rate is $19.50 per $1,000 of property value.

The committee will recommend cutting the proposed school budget of $5,333,025 by $1,644.

It will also recommend cutting the proposed $1,544,825 municipal budget by $54,000.

Selectmen are proposing 4 percent wage hikes for town employees, with the exception of the town clerk who would get a 7 percent hike.

The Budget Committee recommends 3 percent and 6 percent wage hikes, respectively. They also favor cutting the winter roads salt budget and appropriating only an additional $1,300 for the recreation budget. Selectmen proposed raising an additional $2,200.

Trash and tuition

Purinton expects the most debate on Article 21, which was put on the warrant by citizen petition. Voters will be asked to increase the number of “free” trash bag tags from 26 to 52 per year. If approved, it would increase solid waste and recycling costs by an estimated $12,000, Purinton said. That budget is now $129,344.

After turning down a proposal to form a community school district with Lisbon last year that would have resulted in a jointly owned new high school, voters will now be asked to negotiate a contract of up to 10 years for local students to attend Brunswick High School.

The proposal calls for paying tuition for at least 80 percent of high schoolers, regardless of the number who attend Brunswick High School from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2015. Voters will also be asked to authorize paying the legal tuition rate for students who attend other schools.

Ordinances

Voters will also consider several ordinances proposed by the Ordinance Writing Committee and the Planning Board.

Article 74 seeks to amend the existing back-lot ordinance to make it easier and less expensive for family members to build homes on back lots.

The amendment was proposed by a group of property owners who found that they could not sell or give back lots to family members to build homes unless their roads were brought up to current standards.

The Planning Board is proposing its own amendments to the back-lot ordinance.

Town Meeting Information

The Durham Town Meeting begins Friday at the Durham Elementary School gymnasium at 7:45 a.m. to elect a moderator. Voting by secret ballot will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the school. The town meeting will resume Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Durham Elementary School gymnasium. The location on Friday’s B1 of the City edition was incorrect.

Copy the Story Link