NORWAY — Town Manager David Holt on Thursday presented a $4.6 million budget for 2015-16 that includes money for a future town garage and a North Norway fire station.
The spending plan is $133,651 more than this fiscal year. It includes $225,000, or $25,000 more than this year, for road improvements, and a $10,000 increase in the bridge repair budget, bringing it to $30,000.
“The challenge is getting greater,” Holt said, because of more needs and less money, including Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal to phase out state revenue-sharing to towns.
State revenue-sharing for Norway has decreased by about $100,000 over the past few years and is expected to be about $200,000 this year, Holt said.
As town manager, he’s required by law to submit a balanced budget to the Board of Selectmen and voters each year, based on the town’s needs, he said.
“I hope the budget fits somewhere in the middle of the road for Norway,” he said, meaning that it’s fiscally responsible yet meets the desires of residents and department heads.
Holt said he is concerned about the increasing number of foreclosures in Norway and does not want to present a budget that further aggravates that situation. However, he must present a budget that takes care of important safety issues and other mandates, he said.
The 12-member Budget Committee and the Board of Selectmen will meet with department heads. Each panel will present its recommendations to the town manager.
Voters will act on the budget at the annual town meeting in June.
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