MECHANIC FALLS — No one at Wednesday’s public hearing raised serious objection to the town’s proposed $2.4 million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

That means the budget, after the Town Council meets on Monday to certify numbers for the official ballot, will go to a public referendum vote on June 14 for final approval.

If approved by voters on the 14th, the new budget would not raise property taxes a penny, mainly because it is supported by an infusion of a little more than $300,000 from the town’s fund balance.

Town Manager John Hawley noted that the town auditors believe the town is holding about twice as much as it needs in its fund balance.

The fund balance has more than $1.5 million and auditors believe about $800,000 would suffice.

Hawley is proposing to increase the amount of money going into a reserve budget for capital expenditures by more than $205,000.

In addition to tapping the fund balance to run the town for the year and set some aside for future purchases, people at the hearing supported what will be a separate ballot question. That article seeks $95,000 to match a like amount in a grant that will convert the heating system for the municipal complex from an oil-based system to wood pellets.

The town would recoup its investment in the wood pellet burner in about five years, based on the lower cost of fuel. That factor led to strong support.

However, townspeople questioned dipping into the fund balance for $70,000 to provide lights for one of the town’s ball fields.

Terri Arseneault wanted the town Recreation Committee to raise money on its own to provide lights for night ball.

“I am hugely against this,” Arseneault said.

Others argued to the contrary.

“I think it is money well spent for kids,” Gary Purington said.

Recreation Committee spokesman Jim Marston pointed out that adult softball would also make use of the lights and that, with any luck, the town could receive a grant to pay half of the cost.

Marston also noted that the Recreation Committee had committed itself to raise $25,000 over five years to pay the town back in the event the grant failed to materialize.

“The $70,000 is a worst-case scenario and doesn’t figure in if we could get some free labor or breaks on things,” Marston said.

Hawley noted that the request for the ball field lights was a stand-alone item and that townspeople could decide for themselves.

“It’s a fair way to do it,” Hawley said.

This is a new format for how town budgets are approved, a format which voters approved in November 2010 following years of dwindling attendance at the traditional spring town meeting.

The turnout for the public hearing, with about 25 residents attending, was no greater than the numbers that have shown up at town meeting, but it is expected that a much larger number will cast ballots in the referendum.