BREWER — City councilors decided to listen to their consciences Tuesday night and voted 4-1 to give $40,000 back to the school committee so that Brewer High School might once again have a substance abuse counselor.

The school committee had cut the position during recent budget deliberations in an effort to abide by the City Council’s exhortation to keep the budget increase at no more than 2 percent.

City Councilor Janet Cobb, who made the motion to reinstate the $40,000, said she is concerned about Brewer students “having a lifestyle that puts them at risk.”

“The school committee did what they were asked to do,” said Cobb, a member of Brewer’s Alcohol Drug Awareness Prevention Team, “but I just can’t reconcile my conscience to this.”

“I really feel this is a community priority,” Mayor Donna Thornton said.

Councilor Larry Doughty offered the lone dissenting vote.

“The school committee chose to eliminate the position,” he pointed out. “We’re making a mistake by interfering. It’s not for us to decide.”

Although the City Council can make the $40,000 available for the substance abuse counselor position, it is unable to mandate that the school committee use the funds specifically for that purpose.

“These people are community leaders,” Councilor Eddie Campbell said. “We should have faith in them to do the correct thing for students.”

“We trust their judgment,” Cobb said.

The total proposed budget, 2.5 to 3.5 percent above last year’s, increases the mill rate 60-85 cents, or $23.70-$23.95 per thousand dollars of valuation. Last year’s budget, $8,411,394, resulted in a mill rate of $23.10.

The proposed budget, which includes a $4,006,555 municipal budget, a $4,466,624 school budget and a $328,052 county tax assessment, will have its first reading Tuesday and its second and final reading July 23.

Parks called the proposed budget “reasonable,” pointing out that the cost of living goes up 2 to 3 percent each year.

The city manager said the budget grew as the result of four major increases: the cost of wages and salaries increasing by $144,000; contributions to the Maine State Retirement System going up by $120,000; debt service, $86,000; and hydrant rental, $60,000.

Parks said he was pleased that the city has been able to “swallow most of the increases without passing them on.”