RUMFORD — Selectmen approved budgets Thursday night for the Fire Department and Public Works in continued efforts to reduce the proposed $8.02 million municipal budget.

The board will continue to hear department budget requests for 2013-14 at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, in Rumford Falls Auditorium.

Town Manager Carlo Puiia said Friday afternoon that selectmen voted 3-2 late Thursday night for Chief Bob Chase’s requested $733,850 for the Fire Department. Selectmen Chairman Greg Buccina and Jeremy Volkernick dissented, while Jeff Sterling, Jolene Lovejoy and Brad Adley approved it.

By a 5-0 tally, the board also approved Chase’s Emergency Management budget request of $7,737.

Selectmen pared $34,500 from Public Works Superintendent Andy Russell’s proposed budget of $1,187,040.

The board reduced the Sewer Maintenance budget request of $46,071 to $43,571 by a unanimous vote, Puiia said.

The board also voted 5-0 to:

* Cut $2,000 from the summer roads budget of $326,890 and approved a $324,890 budget recommendation.

* Cut $15,000 from Russell’s request of $45,000 for State Aid Construction, instead recommending to raise and appropriate $30,000.

* Approve Russell’s request of $58,747 for the Town Garage budget, which includes the building and a clerk.

* Recommend $20,000 for Russell’s sidewalks budget. According to budget documents, Russell hadn’t requested anything for this budget. Last year, voters approved a $35,000 budget for sidewalks, but as of Feb. 28, the department had only spent $422.13.

Puiia said an attempt was made to pare $20,000 from Russell’s request of $615,332 for winter roads. However, it was rejected by a vote of 2-3. Buccina and Volkernick were for; Sterling, Lovejoy and Adley against.

A motion was made to approve the $615,332 and it passed 3-2, Puiia said. Buccina and Volkernick dissented.

Russell’s bituminous surfacing request of $75,000 was pared to $50,000 and approved by a 4-1 tally. Volkernick dissented.

Russell’s request of $20,000 for the bridges budget was reduced to $10,000 and approved 3-2, with Lovejoy and Sterling dissenting, Puiia said.

The board discussed the departments’ capital improvement requests, including Police and Parks and Recreation, but have yet to approve anything.

Selectmen are to convene public hearings on their budget work starting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 18, on initiated article requests. The board will vote on their recommendations.

Selectmen typically split their public hearings and votes now on initiated article requests into two sessions.The second will be at 6 p.m. Monday, March 25.

Another public hearing to vote on the budget proposed by the town manager will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21. After that, the Finance Committee takes over budget work to determine its recommendations.

Committee hearings will be held at 6 p.m.:

* Monday, April 8, on initiated articles.

* Wednesday and Thursday, April 10 and 11, on department budgets; after which, votes will be taken to determine committee recommendations.

Following more meetings in April and May, residents will tackle the budget at the polls starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, at the American Legion.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com