MINOT — Selectmen agreed Monday to postpone setting this year’s property tax rate until the results of RSU 16’s vote on the budget are in.

Voters in the Mechanic Falls-Minot-Poland school system turned down proposed budgets in May and June, but are scheduled to try again Sept. 13.

The budget, as proposed, would increase Minot’s portion by more than $60,000.

While this is a significantly smaller increase than what the budgets that been voted down would have done to increase Minot’s share, selectmen were nonetheless reluctant to set the tax rate.

“I like to have my numbers down as close as I can get them before I prepare my recommendations,” Selectman Eda Tripp said.

Tripp is the town’s chief assessor and for the past several years has been responsible for developing a series of possible tax rates, differing in how much might be borrowed from the town’s fund balance or how much extra is added to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

In other business, selectmen authorized Town Administrator Arlan Saunders to sign a contract with Smith Reuter Architects of Lewiston to prepare preliminary designs for an addition to the Central Fire Station. The increase in rescue services the town provides has added to the space crunch.

Saunders reported that Dennis Durgin has completed his field work in preparation for a topographical survey of the fire station site and the results should be available to the architects by the end of the week.

Money from the development impact fees is paying for the studies.

Saunders also reported that the latest invoice from Skelton, Taintor & Abbott brings the amount spent on legal fees to more than $18,000 for the year. The amount budgeted was $15,000.

The lion’s share has gone for fees associated with developer Chuck Starbird’s suit challenging the town’s refusal to grant him a building permit off the end of York Road.