By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

NORWAY – Town Manager David Holt introduced a proposed municipal budget of $6.5 million at a meeting of the Board of Selectmen on Thursday.

The proposed budget is $682,000, or 11.6 percent more than last year’s $5.9 million spending plan. However, Holt said, “The budget was really easy to do this year. The town’s increase is a zero net increase from property taxes.”

Holt said the budget surplus, excise tax collections, general revenues and state revenue sharing forecasts all are on the rise and expected to offset the increase.

If the proposed municipal budget is approved, the town would have to raise $4,803,581 through taxes, $85,170 more than last year.

The school and county budgets are up, however. Holt said he expects an overall budget increase of 1.8 percent when the amounts are totaled.

Holt estimated the town’s portion of the school budget, which is currently being reviewed, at $78,949, and the town’s portion of the county budget at $6,222. That would bring the complete budget to $6,623,527.

The selectmen on Thursday appointed Steve Bell, Maureen Birtic, James Boyce, Bruce Cook, Daniel Curtis, Shelley Cummings, Roy Gedat, Arthur Hill, Irene Millett, John Morgan, Carol Roth and Douglas Smith to the Norway Budget Committee.

Cummings asked how many people may serve on the committee, and Holt up to 25.

Selectman Bill Damon asked whether it would be too late for interested residents to volunteer for the committee. It was agreed that residents still could contact the town office if interested in serving.

Cummings commented that the town has had difficulty finding committee volunteers. She also lamented that there are “less and less people at the Budget Committee meetings every year.”

She suggested that Holt discourage his employees from making motions at the annual town meeting regarding their own budgets. Cummings said it intimidates some residents and discourages participation.

Holt said he does not want to limit employees’ right to speak, although he refrains from making motions.

By in large, Holt said, his department heads submitted modest budget requests this year. The Budget Committee may want to debate items such as a proposed expenditure of $305,000 for firetruck updates, and $12,212 for new police software.

The newly appointed Budget Committee members and the selectmen discussed setting a meeting schedule for the budget review, but none was established as of 8:30 p.m.