NORWAY– Reviews of departmental budgets for the upcoming fiscal year are under way by the Budget Committee and selectmen.

The committee is meeting each week to review every department budget, but a final recommendation isn’t expected on each until April 30, according to Town Manager David Holt.

Earlier this month, Holt proposed a $2,705,305 budget for the next fiscal year which begins on July 1 and ends on June 30, 2013. The proposed budget is less than a 3 percent increase over last year’s budget.

The budget includes a number of “challenges,” including what Holt termed as a “dramatic” increase in the town’s share for the Oxford Hills School District budget.

According to the Oxford Hills School District figures, Norway’s increase in local share for the school budget this year is $278,267.

Holt has told the Board of Selectmen that to counter the hit from the school assessment along with a decline of state revenues projected to be about $55,000, a $40,000 increase in assessment for retirement payments and costly capital needs for roads and other repairs. He will recommend some changes in the way Norway does business, including a shared police department with Paris.

Voters must approved the budget at the annual town meeting in June.

The 14-member Budget Committee includes Jim Boyce, Marion Denbow, Arthur Hill, Vern Maxfield, David Millett, Tony Morra and Carroll Roth. Also on the committee are Ed Smith, Bob Walker, Wesley Wenthworth, Rodney Wade, Cynthia Ouellette, Anita Hamilton and Bruce Cook.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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