LIVERMORE FALLS — Residents will take up a proposed $2.45 million budget for 2014-15 in a referendum vote Tuesday, June 10.
The budget is $5,670 less than the current budget.
They also will be asked to consider changing the name of the Geneva Hodgkins Memorial Park back to Union Park.
Voters have 39 warrant articles to consider at the polls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Office.
There is a plan to decrease the proposed budget further if voters approve a tax-increment financing budget plan in the future. It could reduce the town budget by $17,917.
Selectmen and Town Manager Kristal Flagg propose to factor into the TIF budget 10 percent of Flagg’s salary, 5 percent of the treasurer’s salary, and a portion of the money the town normally pays to Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments and Greater Franklin Development Corp.
Some of the department budgets show slight increases, while others show decreases. The Police Department’s proposal of $407,684 is up $3,404, mostly because of an increase of $2,466 in wages.
The Fire Department’s budget of $95,470 is the same as the current year. The Public Works Department’s proposal of $352,675 represents an increase of $13,150. The increase can be attributed to $5,000 more in the sidewalks line, $3,574 more in wages and $3,000 more in professional services.
The board is budgeting less for capital improvements than it did this year by putting away $25,000 in a reserve account and $12,960 for self-contained breathing apparatus equipment for firefighters. Residents raised $66,960 in the current budget and will be asked to raise $37,960 in the 2014-15 budget.
The insurance line reflects an increase of $28,859 at $386,659. That is mostly because $232,000 is being budgeted for health insurance, compared to $208,000 in the current budget. Most of the insurance increase is related to two employees leaving who had single health insurance plans and hiring two people who have the family plan.
The proposed budget does not factor in the town’s share of the RSU 73 school budget nor the town’s share of the Androscoggin County budget.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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