RUMFORD – Selectmen last week approved 25 funding requests from social service agencies and other special projects totaling $378,655.
The action followed two nights of hearing agency requests as part of setting the 2005-06 municipal budget.
This year’s requests are up about 2 percent from last year’s $370,000 budget.
Town Manager Steve Eldridge said the greatest increase was for additional municipal support of Black Mountain of Maine.
For the past several years, the town has appropriated $70,000 to help in the ski area’s operation. This year, that figure is $100,000.
“We are being supportive of Black Mountain, which has run in the red for several years. They are the key to economic development in the River Valley,” he said.
Other new requests are $5,000 for new Christmas decorations and lights for installation along Congress Street, and $150 to help the Western Maine Veterans Advisory Committee with its many veterans-associated activities.
Not recommended for funding is a $2,000 request by Big Brothers/Big Sisters, which did not send a representative to the meetings scheduled to hear requests. A request by the River Valley Growth Council of $16,000 was reduced to $12,000 and moved to the town manager’s economic development account. In the past, the request was part of initiated articles.
Eldridge is working on a proposed municipal budget of $6.6 million, which is 5 percent more than last year.
He said substantially higher health and liability insurance costs, 3 percent employee salary increases and creation of a half-time code enforcement officer position are among the reasons for the budget increase.
The town’s Finance Committee will begin its review of the tentative budget next month, then selectmen will adopt the final budget in May. Voters will have the final say at the annual town meeting June 6.
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