By Timothy Churchill,Staff Writer

PARIS – A public hearing on Paris’s 2005-06 budget ended in less than five minutes Wednesday night.

The purpose of the hearing was for town officials to respond to any questions residents might have concerning the budget articles that will appear on the warrant in June.

Just one resident, Rebecca Dowse, attended, but didn’t have any questions for Town Manager Sharon Jackson, or members of the Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee.

The total budget for fiscal year 2005-06 is $5,182,104, a 1.5 percent increase over last year’s $5,103,517. That increase is primarily attributable to the rising costs of fuel, health insurance and workers’ compensation, according to selectmen Chairman William Merrill.

For instance, the budgetary line item for general governmental expenses had an increase of more than $80,000, to $136,000. More than two-thirds of that $80,000 is going toward new health insurance and workers’ compensation costs, Merrill said.

The next-largest increase was in the Fire Department’s budget, which went up $30,000, to $167,000. In addition to fuel for department vehicles, Merrill said, that increase is due to the higher cost of operating the new fire station built in 2003.

Fire Chief Brad Frost said Monday night that the new station on Western Avenue was significantly larger than the old one. Based on last year’s expenditures, Frost said, the Fire Department realized it had to increase its budget for maintenance operations to a more realistic level.

Paris’ school budget and county assessment fees, lumped together under the title “other governmental” expenses, was decreased $110,000 to $2,318,000.

Selectmen will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Friday to approve all 31 budget articles that will appear on the warrant at the June 18 annual town meeting.