RUMFORD – Selectmen began paring down a proposed $7.2 million municipal budget Tuesday night by cutting $10,000 from its economic development line in an attempt to reach a figure permitted under the state mandated tax cap.

To meet the cap, a total of $350,000 must be cut.

Selectman Chairman Jim Rinaldo said the the state formula allows the town to increase its 2006 budget of $6.7 million by $132,000.

Selectmen also reduced proposed salary increases for employees in the town manager’s office and town clerk’s office by several thousand dollars, pared $5,000 from the state retirement account, and shaved $2,000 from the municipal building maintenance account.

They refused to increase the half-time position of code enforcement officer to full time, saving about $22,000

But they still had a long way to go.

Escaping cuts were the police and fire departments. Both had submitted no-increase budgets from the current year and both spend almost a million dollars to provide protection and emergency services. Both have also been under fire from some board members and residents for allegedly being too large and costing too much.

Police Chief Stacy Carter, who is also serving as interim town manager, said his proposed budget, at $914,491, only $81 higher than the current year, was as low as it could go without reducing personnel.

“If we start reducing personnel, we’ll have to look at the whole structure. We’re not compromising officer safety,” he said.

Fire Chief John Woulfe proposed a budget of $976,712, down from $977,388.

Selectmen narrowly approved presenting that figure to residents in June by a 3-2 vote, with Selectmen Greg Buccina and Mark Belanger voting against it.

Some items also went up this year, including the cost for elections because the town is going to referendum voting for the first time, and for legal costs because of the residency issue of former Town Manager Stephen Eldridge.

Late Wednesday, the board hadn’t completed its review and still had another million-dollar budget item, public works, as well as several smaller accounts to tackle.

The municipal budget is one part of the total amount of money Rumford residents must raise. To be added to it will be school taxes, county taxes and special project/initiated article requests. The total package will likely come in at between $13 million and $14 million.