LEWISTON — City councilors are scheduled to host a final hearing and vote on the budget at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
City Administrator Ed Barrett presented his draft budget to councilors in March, and they’ve been reviewing department budgets since then.
Councils have until May 31 to adopt the budget for the fiscal year that runs from July 2012 through June 2013, according to the City Charter.
Barrett’s original budget called for a $1.9 million increase in municipal spending and $762,248 more from property taxes for city operations, compared to the current year.
Combined with proposed school and county budgets, it would push property tax collections to $47.6 million and increase the property tax rate by 19 cents per $1,000 of value. That would have increased property taxes by $28.50 on a $150,000 home.
After reviewing proposed budgets for each department, councilors began looking for places to cut. Revenue forecasts, updated after Barrett’s budget was first released, gives the city an additional $58,000.
The proposed budget pays for some paving and capital projects out of the General Fund and does not reduce city services or cut city programs.
New equipment, such as a proposed thermal imaging camera for the Fire Department and new banners for the Lewiston Public Library, could be cut.
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