LEWISTON – The city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2005-06 is almost ready for printing, said the city administrator.
“I’ve pretty much wrapped up my work, and now I need to produce the document,” said Jim Bennett on Thursday. He said this year’s proposed budget calls for no increase in property taxes.
He is scheduled to present the budget to the City Council at a March 22 meeting. That will be followed a week later by a public hearing on the budget and a review of the city’s capital improvement plan.
Councilors need to adopt a budget by the end of May.
“Within the next week or so, I should have a tentative schedule for budget presentations,” Bennett said. Councilors should meet twice weekly through April, he said.
Last year, Bennett’s proposed budget called for a tax rate increase of 55 cents for every $1,000 of valuation. Councilors whittled that down by May, ultimately adopting a $74.6 million budget that kept property taxes level but increased parking fees and fines, as well as increasing city permits.
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