LISBON — The Town Council on Tuesday discussed cuts to the proposed 2018 fiscal year budget of $8.66 million and adding items to the unassigned fund balance.
With an 8.36 percent increase from this fiscal year’s budget, Town Manager Diane Barnes suggested removing $50,000 for upgrades to the computer server, $40,000 for upgrades to the Police Department’s radio equipment and $75,000 for the Fire Department’s capital improvement. These items would be paid for by the unassigned fund.
Other items to be paid off by that fund include a generator pad, conversion to natural gas, the town clerk’s storage unit, a police cruiser and an upgrade to the flooring at E.T. Smith Hose Co.
The fund is at $2.75 million. The town budgeted $624,626 to spend from this account, and these items totaled $617,404.
Suggested items to be removed from the 2018 budget include $30,000 from solid waste for capital improvements and $100,000 in capital reserves for heavy machinery at Public Works.
The money is not targeted to a specific item, Barnes said.
Items removed from this year’s budget and deferred until fiscal year 2019 include fuel pumps at Public Works, a salt shed and the Maine Department of Transportation matching fund of $100,000 for road work.
All items will be formally voted upon at the next council meeting June 6.
The public hearing on the budget will be held at 7 p.m. June 20 at the Town Office.
Councilors also heard from representatives from Western Maine Transportation Services on their study to better understand travel patterns, optimize urban areas and remain sustainable and economically feasible.
More than 3,000 people have taken the survey. It can be found online at www.WMTS.org.
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