MECHANIC FALLS — The Budget Committee and Town Council agreed Wednesday evening to send a $2.39 million municipal budget to voters June 9.
The 2015-16 spending package is $21,000 more than this fiscal year. Town Manager John Hawley said the amount coming from property taxes will increase by about $56,000.
“If approved,” Hawley said, “the taxes on a house assessed at $100,000 will go up by about $58 for the year.”
He estimated the tax rate will go from $21.20 to $21.59.
Budget Committee Chairwoman Bonnie Payette and council Chairwoman Nancy Richard called out identical numbers in response to Hawley’s request for each board’s recommendations for each budget line.
Last year, the two boards failed to agree and as a result, parts of the budget failed to pass when it went to a public vote and had be reworked and revoted.
Earlier this month, the Budget Committee recommended cuts in what the council was proposing and the council asked Hawley to devise a budget both could agree on.
In addition to the budget, voters will decide whether to take out a $500,000 bond for road paving. The money should be enough to pave about 3 miles of roadway, about half of what Hawley said should be addressed.
The cost for financing the bond is included in $2.39 million budget.
Hawley said he and Pubic Works Director Scott Penney are still working on the list of streets that need to be paved.
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