PARIS – County commissioners are looking to save money next year by switching their budget to a fiscal year.

Commissioners met with town managers from Norway, Paris, Mexico and Buckfield at their bimonthly meeting on Tuesday. Chairman Caldwell Jackson said the board would like to change to a fiscal year next year.

Now, the county operates on a January to December calendar year, and taxes from towns are due in October. Jackson said changing to a July 1 to June 30 fiscal year would put the county in line with state and federal budget years.

Jackson added that the change would do away with the need to borrow money through tax anticipation notes, leading to an estimated $54,000 in savings. Last year, the commissioners approved a budget of approximately $6.2 million in expenditures and $2 million in revenues.

“We don’t want to burden or adversely affect the towns we serve,” Commissioner David Duguay said.

Mexico Town Manager John Madigan cautioned that the change could be difficult on the towns in its initial stages.

“You end up with an 18-month situation that has to be paid in a 12-month period,” Madigan said.

However, Madigan said the change was a step “in the right direction.”

Jackson said the towns could pay the county monthly or twice a year to address the initial change.

Norway Town Manager David Holt said the county might be able to ease into the process instead of implementing the change in one year. He asked that the board map out the proposed change for the towns.