NEWRY — Concern about the SAD 44 assessment expected in June prompted selectmen to propose a 2011 municipal budget that’s more than $170,000 less than last year’s budget.
Administrator Loretta Powers said Thursday afternoon that voters at town meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, March 7, will face a budget of $826,290.50.
Selectmen “tried to keep things down, because we don’t know where the school budget is going to go,” she said.
Last year’s budget, which included $145,000 for an erosion control project in the Bear River Watershed, was $999,622. It’s down $173,332 from this year’s budget.
This year’s capital improvement project is replacement of the Paine Bridge on Branch Road, the third and last bridge on the road to rebuild.
Powers said she isn’t yet sure what the SAD 44 assessment will do to the tax rate, currently at $8.85 per $1,000 worth of property.
Whether it increases or not depends on the school tax assessment.
“We won’t know what it is until June,” she said.
The county tax assessment is $332,590, which is $17,414 more than last year’s assessment of $315,176.
Newry’s valuation dropped, but the county’s percentage went up, creating the increase, Powers said.
Among the warrant articles are to:
* Raise and appropriate $238,888 for administration and salaries.
* Take $160,000 from the Capital Improvement account to rebuild the Paine Bridge.
* Raise and appropriate $135,500 for highways and bridges.
* Raise and appropriate $134,608 for sanitation.
* Appropriate $100,000 from Unappropriated Surplus to the Capital Improvement account.
* Raise and appropriate $65,686.50 to pay part of the bond indebtedness on the Metz ladder firetruck.
* Raise and appropriate $64,500 for fire protection.
Selectmen are also seeking voter approval to take $75,000 from the Unappropriated Surplus account to help offset taxes.
Municipal officials seeking reelection and running unopposed are Selectman Wendy Hanscom and SAD 44 Director Bonnie Largess.
A potluck supper will precede the town meeting in the Bear River Grange Hall starting at 5:30 p.m.
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