JAY – Selectmen and Budget Committee members are scheduled to start a budget review Monday and conclude Tuesday on a proposed $6.1 million spending plan for fiscal 2010.

After factoring in about $3 million in anticipated revenues, the proposal reflects an increase of $132,180 over the existing budget.

Incorporated into the revenue line is $450,000 from the undesignated fund account to offset an extra six months of the Franklin County budget. The county is changing its fiscal year from the calendar year to July 1 to June 30. That means the towns will need to pay for a share of an 18-month budget instead of 12 months. Towns may choose to fund the additional six months – a one-time charge – all at once, or over five years.

Town Manager Ruth Marden is recommending the money be taken from the town’s surplus to avoid having to pay interest.

A selectmen’s meeting will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, if needed, in the Jay Middle School Cafeteria. If it’s not needed, budget talks will begin at 6 p.m. Budget review continues at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the middle school cafeteria.

Scheduled for review on Monday are insurance, professional services, ambulance, revenues, hydrants, street lights, police, fire, transfer station, sewer and Spruce Mountain budgets and donations.

On Tuesday, buildings and grounds, town government, building inspector, library and highway and paving will be reviewed.

Some accounts show increases such as the Sewer Department, which includes $27,000 to put in the reserve account. The reserve was not funded last year, Marden said.

The town government account is up nearly $19,000 with part of that due to $5,000 more being put in the utilities line.

Donation requests are $57,744, up from $32,655 from this year.

Several accounts are down, including the Police Department at $784,574, which is $534 less than this year’s budget. The Highway Department budget proposed at $1.37 million reflects a decrease of $18,000.

The budget was built tight, Marden said. “We’re very, very aware of the economy of the area and this budget reflects that,” she said.