BETHEL – Work on a proposed municipal budget by selectmen and Budget Committee members is likely to extend into late May before it can be finalized for town meeting in early June, according to Town Manager Scott Cole.

Officials must wait that long for updated information about two proposed capital improvement projects – constructing the Mason Street sidewalk and replacing the Smith Farm Bridge, which spans Pleasant River.

The sidewalk project is estimated at $134,460, which includes $96,000 in secured state funding, Cole said Wednesday afternoon. He expects the estimate to increase.

As of March 23, Bethel’s proposed budget expenditures total $3,310,263. That’s up $27,628 from the previous year’s $3,282,635.

If the $3.3 million figure, coupled with respective Oxford County and SAD 44 assessments of $283,075 and $2,288,251, remains unchanged, $4,431,367 must be raised through property taxes, according to documents provided by Cole.

Without dipping into the $562,252 undesignated fund balance, that would mean last year’s tax rate of $10.10 would jump 42 cents to $10.52 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Cole said selectmen and Budget Committee members met jointly four times counting Wednesday night’s discussion on municipal employee wages and benefits. No wage increases are proposed in the budget.

Of the $615,002 proposed for capital improvement projects, Cole said about $330,000 is for road paving work.

In other business, nomination papers are available at the town office for three-year terms for one selectman, an assessor, and two SAD 44 directors.

Selectman and assessor Robert Everett’s seats are both up this summer as are those of SAD 44 Directors Becky Cummings and Pat Nasta.

As of Wednesday, Everett was the only candidate to take out papers, which need to be returned to the town office no later than 5 p.m. on April 27.