By Eileen M. Adams,Staff Writer

RUMFORD – The annual budget-building process will include slightly fewer meetings than usual and a goal to keep taxes at the current rate or lower.

Selectmen launched the process at Thursday night’s meeting.

Initiated articles will be handled in several different ways this year.

Town Manager Steve Eldridge said only one meeting will be scheduled to hear requests from social service agencies and other special projects, and that one meeting will include attendance by the Finance Board as well as selectmen.

In the past, selectmen have used two nights to listen to requests, then the Finance Board had its turn. Also, said Eldridge, selectmen will not vote on whether to accept the request at the end of the meeting. Instead, initiated articles will be treated the same as every other part of the budget and will be accepted or rejected near the end of the budget development process.

Eldridge said townspeople will have a good idea of the proposed budget by mid-April.

Selectmen are expected to set the wages for nonunion employees at their Feb. 2 meeting. Then department heads will meet with Eldridge soon after to review their requests. A series of public meetings will be held during March and April to discuss the proposed budget. All meetings begin at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Building. The schedule is:

• March 9 and March 23, selectmen will meet with department heads;

• April 3, selectmen and the Finance Committee will meet to hear initiated article requests;

• April 10 and April 11, the Finance Board will meet with department heads;

• April 20, selectmen adopt budget.

The current fiscal year’s municipal operating budget is about $6.5 million. The tax rate stands at $19.15 per $1,000 valuation.

Eldridge said the goal is to maintain the current tax level or reduce it. Whether that can happen, however, is uncertain right now.

He said health insurance is set to rise by 5 percent unless the town can find a less expensive carrier. Also, he said the town expects to apply for a Community Development Block Grant that would help in the downtown revitalization efforts. A municipal match would be required.