LIVERMORE FALLS — Town Manager Kristal Flagg said she is unsure how the Board of Selectmen will proceed on the proposed administration budget that voters defeated for the third time Tuesday.

The board will discuss the matter at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Town Office.

Voters opposed raising $197,861 for the administration budget by a vote of 260-258 Tuesday. The proposal also failed in June at the polls and in July at an open town meeting.

The administration article is $32,695 more than the 2012-13 amount due to a shift of the treasurer/town clerk’s salary from the elected officials budget to the administration budget. The position is now appointed.

“The items in the administration budget are necessities along with the help — the treasurer, clerk, tax collector, excise tax collector — are all state statute required positions,” she said.

The town manager position is also required because voters years ago approved a town manager, Board of Selectmen form of government, she said.

All the other departments require the administration department to function, Flagg said.

“I could see if we had hired an additional employee in the office but we never have,” she said. “We have taken on more duties and responsibilities with no extra pay. We can’t expect the office staff to do more for less. We don’t even budget for someone being away from their job. If someone is out on a leave, on vacation or out sick, the remaining employees in the office just take that position which adds more to their duties and work extra hours to complete their own duties. We don’t even have overtime wages built in our admin budget.”

The town’s budget of $2.25 million is $47,000 less than last year’s budget.

The town continues operate on the 2012-13 budget until a new one is approved.

dperry@sunjournal.com