RUMFORD — The Finance Committee finished work at Thursday night’s public hearing on its recommendations for the proposed 2011-12 municipal budget.

However, they didn’t yet have a bottom line determined, Chairman Dieter Kreckel said after the 90-minute meeting.

For the most part, general government budgets were discussed.

Among their recommendations were:

* $165,928 for town manager, which is $5,928 more than what selectmen recommended last month.

* $76,293 for town clerk/treasurer, up $6,923 from the selectmen recommendation.

* $78,710 for tax collector-constable, down $1,000 from the selectmen’s figure.

* $104,494 for tax assessor, up $2,601 from the selectmen recommendation of $101,893.

Where they differed considerably came under economic development and the library.

Prior to discussing the economic-development budget, Town Manager Carlo Puiia shared new information that selectmen didn’t have when they went with Puiia’s recommendation not to fund anything.

Last month, Puiia said he thought the $29,500 remaining balance in the account from the current year would suffice.

However, he said Thursday night that there have been several new developments, like efforts to land a brand name hotel.

Without revealing much due to ongoing negotiations between selectmen and developers, Puiia said three such parties have approached the board and a contract is currently in place to buy land in town for the site.

Another developer has shown interest in the past two weeks in moving into the Rumford Industrial Park on Route 108. Due to the sudden spike in economic development possibilities, he suggested they recommend between $25,000 and $30,000.

Puiia also said he would be taking the matter before selectmen again, to get a new recommendation, which is possible under town law.

Some of the development will require tax increment financing, which Puiia said will likely involve setting up TIF districts within Rumford.

“I didn’t think things would move this fast,” he said. “When the sun shines, you want to make hay, so I think we should be ready to deal with it.”

The committee then unanimously voted for $25,000.

As for the Library budget, Director Luke Sorensen requested $260,662, mainly to hire a few more staff that would enable the library to be open longer for the public.

Last year, voters cut the budget by $40,000, so Sorensen cut staff, which in turn reduced library hours to the public from 58 hours a week to 45 hours.

He proposed to expand weekly hours to 55 during the fall, winter and spring, and drop to 40 in the summer. Last year, the library was open 52 hours a week in the summer.

The Committee, however, voted 8-1 to recommend $230,000, which is $30,000 more than the selectmen recommendation.

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