RUMFORD — Selectmen continued work Wednesday night to reduce the budget that was defeated by town meeting referendum voters on June 11.

By 8:45 p.m., they had reduced the three Parks Department budgets, the library budget, reduced the code enforcement officer’s hours and started on general government.

While discussing the overall parks budget, Selectmen Chairman Greg Buccina said the board has developed some options, “two or three things we can do to support recreation in our community.”

He said those will be discussed at the board’s Thursday night meeting.

Buccina suggested paring the parks budget of $188,133 to $164,934. Parks and Recreation Director Michael Mills countered with $178,726, explaining the impacts. He said groups like Relay for Life and the Fourth of July Committee, of which Buccina is a member, would have to clean up Hosmer Field after their events, instead of having the Parks Department crew do the work.

Additionally, Mills said they couldn’t keep the information booth or clean the walking trails for that amount. He added that there would be no mowing of embankments at Hosmer Field, and he’d have to cut back on pesticide usage and seeding.

Selectman Jolene Lovejoy motioned for $178,726.

Mills told the board that if they approved this amount, selectmen will have to deal with the things that won’t get done.

“We cut recreation for every kid in this town, so all things that are sacred are on this table,” Lovejoy said.

One resident asked the board why they have to reduce budgets to the bare minimum. She objected to the reduction, saying businesses are trying to bring people to Rumford — but when they arrive, they will find trash about town and unmowed lawns due to budget cuts.

“Some budgets cannot take the 12 percent to 14 percent cut,” she said.

Buccina disagreed. He said the board was simply following the will of the majority, who rejected the board’s proposed budget.

Lovejoy’s motion of $178,726 was rejected 1-4, with Buccina the lone proponent. Lovejoy then motioned for $183,430, which was OK’d 5-0.

Mills proposed appropriating zero dollars for the skating rink budget, which was originally $3,600. That was quickly approved 5-0. The cemeteries line item, which was initially $12,280, was cut by $1,000 to $11,280 and approved 5-0.

Librarian Luke Sorensen pitched several reduction options for his budget and explained the impacts. Voters last week defeated the selectmen’s proposal of $227,589, as well as the Finance Committee’s proposal of $225,000.

Selectman Brad Adley threw out a 15 percent decrease to $191,250 and asked Sorensen to explain the impacts. He said that would reduce the library’s hours from 48 per week to 37 and close it on Saturdays.

“This is going to be painful, but I’m going to motion for $191,250,” Adley said.

That didn’t sit well with Marie Boudreau, a library board trustee, who said Adley added wrong and that the cut was more than 21 percent. 

“This library has been cut every year,” Boudreau berated Adley and the board. “There go our hours again, and half a Saturday, which we need because the summer people are coming in with children. We want young people in this town, and a library is very, very important.”

She urged the board to reconsider.

DiConzo said he was going to motion for $200,000.

“I think $191,000 is way too low,” he said. “They’ve taken a hit, year in and year out.”

However, the board voted 3-2, approving Adley’s motion, with Lovejoy and DiConzo dissenting.

For code enforcement, selectmen had proposed $50,715 in the defeated budget, after Code Enforcement Officer Rick Kent offered budget reduction options. Buccina suggested possibly cutting the position entirely or reducing it to a part-time job.

When Kent appeared to object, Adley said, “We’re living in a different world. Welcome to our world.”

However, Buccina proposed a 24 percent decrease to $36,893 and a reduction to a four-day workweek from five.

Lovejoy objected, saying she believed a code enforcement position “is a necessity with a town as old as ours is.”

Adley motioned for Kent’s proffered $38,528, which was approved 4-1.

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