DIXFIELD – Selectmen will soon set a special town meeting to ask voters to approve raising about $10,000 more for the Dixfield Police Department than approved at last month’s annual town meeting.

Town Manager Tom Richmond said at Monday’s regular selectmen’s meeting that raises for the department’s employees were not included in the $212,000 annual budget.

“If money is owed to town employees, we need a solution,” Selectman Brad Dyer said.

Police Chief Richard Pickett said $10,268 more must be added to the 2007-2008 budget so the 3.5 percent wage increase given to other municipal employees is also paid to police officers.

The funds, if approved, will be taken from the town’s surplus account.

The exclusion of the pay raise to police officers was an oversight, Pickett said.

Richmond said the department will likely have to pay some overtime during the next few months because the department’s sergeant, Mark Dow, has been out since June 3. Pickett said the length of Dow’s absence is undetermined.

Richmond said he plans to review each municipal department every month to learn whether it is spending only one-twelfth of its annual budget. Speaking specifically about the Police Department, he said, “If come September and more is spent than should be, we will have discussions.”

A special town meeting to raise the money will be set in July, Richmond said. Voters may also act on a second question associated with the planned construction project by the Maine Department of Transportation on a section of Route 2.

He said a small parcel of town land must be taken by the state during the construction to straighten the highway. Whether voters must approve the taking is unknown.

Plans are for the MDOT to clear trees in the construction area this autumn, then begin the two-year project in the spring 2008.

In other matters, Richmond said after the meeting that selectmen and the Mexico Water District Board of Trustees signed an agreement last week for the operation of the Dixfield water system by the Mexico Water District.

He said the town agreed to pay $6,700 per month for water operation services until the end of the year. He said the town plans to begin negotiations with Mexico for a three-year contract.