LISBON – The Town Council on Tuesday night accepted a budget of $6,868,378 for 2008-09 and will recommend it to voters at a public hearing next week.

The spending plan is $279,387 less than this year’s budget, and it meets the council’s goal of having no more than a $1.50 tax increase. The tax rate would be $25.25, which is the same as 2003 to 2005, Town Manager Steve Eldridge said.

Councilors had ordered that the original budget proposal of $7,413,934 be pared, starting with a 19 percent cut in stipends for themselves, the School Committee and other elected officials. The amount spent this year was $22,350; the amount recommended for next year is $18,090.

Other cuts include:

• $89,900 in the finance and tax collector’s departments;

• $5,731 for a part-time position in the assessing office;

• one position in the police department (school resource officer);

• three part-time firefighting positions;

• $25,000 from the firetruck reserve account;

• a summer intern position in the town engineer’s office; and

• a part-time position in the library.

The council also noted Tuesday that snow removal costs were $130,000 over budget this fiscal year.

The budget for the new fiscal year also has a total of $766,914 in capital improvements, including:

• $247,000 to replace a truck at public works;

• $40,000 to replace a trailer and container for solid waste operations;

• $71,905 to upgrade the town computer system, as recommended by the technology committee; and

• $325,000 for a property revaluation.

Eldridge said the town valuation is at 54 percent of what the state says it should be. “This is a good time to do it while property valuations are down,” he said.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, April 28, at the Lisbon Community School on Mill Street.

The town charter requires the council to adopt a budget by the end of May.