NORWAY – Town Manager David Holt has recommended a Highway Department budget of $716,912, nearly $20,000 more than highway superintendent Ronald Springer is recommending for 2008-09.

The major difference between the two proposals is $15,000 for sand and gravel.

Both administrators said at Wednesday night’s Budget Committee meeting that filling one vacancy at a cost of $28,433 would be a sound investment.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Springer said. “Like my mother said, ‘Many hands makes a big job small.'”

Last year, town meeting voters appropriated $645,281. Of that amount $606,877 has been used to date.

Holt has also recommended budgeting $5,000 more than Springer in overtime, but $2,500 less in building maintenance. He also has recommended $4,000 more for salt and calcium.

“I think the price of salt will keep going up,” Holt explained.

He said he does not anticipate the price of fuel ever going down from the $3 per gallon he used at the time he developed the budget.

Budget Committee members were told the Highway Department’s budget has been hardest hit of any this year because of the fluctuating cost of fuel, salt and other materials, and the severity of the weather.

“This was the toughest one in the budget because he has so many things affected by what’s going on in the state of Maine and the world,” Holt said of Springer’s spending plan.

Budget Committee Chairman Carroll Roth agreed with Holt’s assessment.

Under capital improvements for the highway department, the committee was also told that voters will be asked for money to repair Morse Bridge, improve roads and streets, buy a truck and fund the equipment reserve account.

Holt has recommended $250,000 for road improvements, Springer $300,000. Holt recommended $120,00 for road repairs; Springer $150,000. Holt recommended $30,000 for the Highway Equipment Reserve Fund and $60,000 for a truck; Springer $40,000 for the reserve fund and $65,000 for the truck. The total in differences between the two men’s recommendations is $95,000.

The Budget Committee and selectmen will each deliberate on the requests and make their final recommendations when they meet separately in late April and early May.