By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – The prospect of no property tax increase might not be enough for some city councilors this year.

Councilors continued their review of the 2006 budget Thursday with representatives of the School Committee. That budget calls for $1 million less in property taxes, thanks to increases in state aid.

But several councilors said the school budget, which calls for $2.17 million more in overall spending, makes them uncomfortable.

“I look at $2 million, and that really seems like a lot to me,” said Councilor Ron Jean. Nationally and across the state, education seems to be getting more and more expensive.

“I think the costs of education are exorbitant, and I see no reason they can’t be lower,” Jean said.

Councilors will continue working on the budget Tuesday, after the regular council meeting. Councilors will meet with city department heads to discuss individual budgets at that meeting. They’ll begin discussing what they want to do with the budget at a special Thursday workshop next week.

School Superintendent Leon Levesque said an additional $3.2 million in state aid allows the increased spending without more taxes. The budget would pay for full-day kindergarten for all elementary schools and additional special education staff. It will also pay for a middle school resource officer.

City Administrator Jim Bennett presented his draft budget in March. City services – police, fire, public works, planning and general government – account for $40.3 million of the budget. That’s $1.5 million more than projected 2005 spending.

The city’s tax rate would stay at $27.70 per $1,000 of property value and could come down 20 cents if councilors privatize the city’s landfill.

That’s not enough for Councilor Stavros Mendros.

“My goal is to get the tax rate down to $26.95,” he said. That would require the council to trim about $790,000 from Bennett’s budget. Councilor Lillian O’Brien said she didn’t see it. Instead, O’Brien said she wanted to see the School Committee’s budget increase.

“I think we should provide transportation to every student in Lewiston, kindergarten through high school,” she said. Lewiston does not provide bus service to high school students.

“I see those kids walking every day,” O’Brien said. “The city is becoming more spread out, and I think we should be able to provide buses for all of them.”