FAYETTE — Residents will be asked whether they want to spend money on a new excavator at the business portion of the annual Town Meeting begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Fayette Central School.
The town’s proposed operations budget for 2012-13 is almost $627,000, an increase of about $108,000 over the current year.
Town Manager Mark Robinson said selectmen have proposed to spend $75,000 more for paving and $20,000 from capital reserves to help fund an excavator purchase.
The budget committee recommended an increase of only $17,000 for the municipal budget.
The current tax rate in Fayette is $13.55 for each $1,000 of property.
If all proposals are adopted as written, the tax rate could rise to $14 per $1,000.
Robinson provided a breakdown of local expenses: $166,414 for the Kennebec County assessment; $627,000 for municipal operations and $1.4 million for Fayette Central School as well as some administrative functions of Alternative Organizational Structure 97, which is a district composed of Fayette and Winthrop.
Residents also will be asked to approve spending money from a capital reserve fund, which contains $96,000, to supplement the purchase of a new fire truck pumper. A federal grant is supplying $270,000 for it, and the town is providing $14,000 for its component.
The public also will have to decide from among some competing proposals involving the hours of the codes enforcement officer. The Planning Board has requested 12 additional hours; selectmen recommend five hours and the budget committee wants to hold the line at the current 15 hours a week, Robinson said.
In another article, voters will be asked to enter an annual agreement with the state Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife to improve and maintain Hales Pond water site on Young Road.
The costs are shared 75/25 between the state and the town, with the town’s share provided in the form of machinery and manpower.
The deal to acquire 28 acres along Young Road with frontage on Hales Pond hinges on a clean environmental hazard assessment prior to August 2013 and the willingness of the property owners, the Manters, to complete the closing.
The town raised $35,000 to help the property owners relocate.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com
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