RUMFORD – Selectmen approved nearly $294,000 in social service agency and other special requests from about 30 organizations in the past week.

On April 3, the town’s Finance Committee will decide what and how much to ask residents to approve.

The figure approved by selectmen is down $15,700, or 5.4 percent, from the current fiscal year.

Among the 34 requesters, 10 received no funding, largely because a representative from the organization did not appear before the board to make a request. Selectmen’s policy has been to automatically deny any request when no one appears before the board to make its case.

Among those who are usually approved, but will not be this year, are the American Red Cross, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Western Maine Veteran’s Advisory Committee and Rumford Senior Citizens.

Among the larger requests that were approved by the board are: the Greater Rumford Community Center, $95,000; Black Mountain of Maine, $70,000; Greater Rumford Community Center Center summer programs, $28,400; Community Concepts, $10,000; and River Valley Growth Council, $10,000.

Acting Town Manager Stacy Carter said each of the approved requests will appear on the referendum ballot as a separate article on June 12. Voters will have the option of approving the selectmen’s figure, the Financial Committee’s figure, or neither.

According to the town’s charter, if any of these articles is turned down, then the requesting organization will receive no funding from the town for this year, he said.

If voters turn down any of the articles that make up the municipal budget, which was approved by selectmen last week at $7.35 million, then residents will have a second, or even a third chance, to vote on an amended article.

Carter said selectmen did not approve the full amount requested by organizations, in part, he believes, because of efforts to meet the state mandated tax cap.