CAMDEN — Town Manager Roger Moody has unveiled his proposed municipal budget which calls for expenditures of $3,421,560 for 1992-93. Voters will act on the budget at the annual town meeting in June.

Although the budget includes a 2.8-percent pay increase for all town employess, the budget still represents a $3,231 drop in spending from last year’s $3,424,791 budget.

The selectmen gave the proposal a brief review during their Monday night meeting. Board Chairman Donald Gross commended Moody for his ability to keep spending close to last year’s level.

“Roger’s done such a wonderful job putting this together,” Gross said.

The budget features a $35,056 reduction in the county tax, from last year’s levy of $486,054 to $450,998 this year. Moody predicted that because the county had an unusually high surplus in 1991, the reduction could be short-lived.

“I don’t know if that means there will be a blip up next year,” Moody said.

The budget fails to take into account next year’s SAD 28 school budget but if school directors manage to keep it at last year’s $3,141,095 level, the amount needed to be raised by taxes will remain the same as last year.

Besides the $19,000 pay raise, other areas projected to increase in spending include: legal fees, $5,000; fire station renovation account, $30,000; Workers’ Compensation, $21,400; unemployment compensation, $12,600; Library, $13,000; fire hydrant assessment, $3,476; street lights, $3,940; capital improvements, $5,083; and the establishment of a $5,000 contingency account.

Moody informed selectmen that unemployment premiums and Workers’ Compensation costs had increased 29 percent over last year.

The spending increase were offset by reductions in the following accounts: employee benefits, $16,028; planning and development, $7,050, Police Department, $13,045; Fire Department, $1,026; insurance, $7,335; cemeteries, $2,000; streets and sidewalks, $1,600; transfer station, $3,335; and debt service, $34,012.

Moody noted that the town’s debt service on the Opera House elevator bond was paid off this year.

“The town’s current debt as of June 30 totals $764,398 (principal and interest) for the Washington Street sewer, which will be rapaid in the year 2006, and $94,017 for the fuel depot/opera house projects, which will be fully repaid in 1995,” Moody noted. “Our overall debt is extremely low.”

Moody said that two areas where expenses were reduced were the transfer station account and the county tax. The reduction in the transfer station cost was caused by a reduction in fees assessed by Penobscot Energy Recovery Corp.

Moody also noted that state subsidies continue to decline.

“Revenues for 1992-93 remain consistent with those levels projected for 1991-92, except that the state revenue sharing estimate has been reduced to a level which is about $38,000 less than the amount which would have been received were it not for state budget cuts,” Moody noted.

He cited a $12,334 increase in receipts from the harbor and $16,000 in interest on taxes as revenue sources also showing projected increases.

He said the $13,345 reduction in capital expenditures for the Police Department came about because the town did not need to replace a police cruiser this year. Because the town rotates three cruisers every four years, a new cruiser will be needed in 1993-94.

Moody described the package as “a budget which breaks no new ground, but which responds to difficult economic times we all face.”