LEWISTON – Money for parochial school busing went back into the city’s budget Tuesday, as councilors settled on a $43.8 million spending plan.

Councilors had agreed to cut $56,000 from the city spending on buses for parochial school students – about one-quarter of what the city spends to bus those students.

But Council President Tom Peters, responding to phone calls and e-mails from constituents, said councilors changed their minds. He said councilors agreed to fully fund the service this year, with the understanding that it would have to change.

“We need to begin a dialogue with regard to the costs of the busing, and to make sure that some resolution must be made,” Peters said. “With gas prices what they are now, they’ll only go up. So we’ll stop the issue at this point, have a dialogue and see if we can meet some sort of resolution.”

That appeared to be the only controversy going into Tuesday’s meeting. About 20 people had attended the meeting, prepared to speak to councilors about the bus money. Everyone left after Peters announced the change and councilors continued their budget work.

The final budget calls for $44.5 million in property tax collections for the city and school departments – a $1.13 million increase compared to fiscal 2008.

City Administrator Jim Bennett said the city’s property valuation increased $17 million, almost 1 percent.

As a result, councilors set the final property tax rate at $25 per $1,000 of value. Bennett said that will mean property taxes payments this year for the median home will increase about $36.55.