LEWISTON – An award-winning low-income tax preparation program will include more information about saving money next year.

City officials accepted an award from the United States Conference of Mayors for the tax preparation program it offered for the past three years. They used that opportunity to tout next year’s program, which will include educational pieces on building financial assets.

“Savings and accumulating assets are a big part what we do,” said Jill Lorom, housing counselor for Coastal Enterprises. “It’s not enough to help people get a bigger tax refund. Hopefully, we can help them hold on to every penny of their refund.”

This year’s program will include information about savings plans translated into French, Spanish and Somali. It will rely on an education campaign created by the U.S. Conference of Mayors called “Dollar Wise” and will offer financial education to students in Lewiston-Auburn schools and to parent education classes through the Head Start program.

The effort kicks off with a community forum later in September.

The tax preparation program uses local volunteers to prepare tax returns for the city’s low-income residents. Volunteers pay special attention to the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal benefit for certain low- and moderate-income workers, to reduce income taxes by up to $4,400.

Lewiston and Auburn residents who have taken part in it have received nearly $2.3 million in state and federal tax returns since 2004 because of the program and helped 1,481 people file their taxes. This year, tax preparers helped 748 Lewiston-Auburn clients and helped get $958,000 in federal tax refunds.

The program has garnered the city some national praise. Lewiston was one of fours small cities to win outstanding achievement awards from the United States Conference of Mayors at its June conference in Las Vegas.