GUILFORD — A proposed 2000-2001 municipal budget that represents a $28,000 decrease from last year’s spending plan was questioned very little Wednesday by the Guilford budget committee.

In fact, the committee voted to recommend to taxpayers in March that the dollar amounts proposed by the selectmen and Guilford Town Manager Robert Littlefield be funded.

Residents will vote on the proposed $779,105 budget at the annual town meeting on March 20. The package includes a 3 percent increase in pay for town employees.

“I would think it would keep taxes stable,” Littlefield said of the spending plan.

He noted after Wednesday’s budget session that the mill rate is not determined until June when the assessing has been completed. He said the mill rate in the past two years had been stable at $13.80 per $1,000, compared to a mill rate of $14.20 per $1,000 valuation three years ago.

“Hopefully, it will stay in that neighborhood,” said Littlefield.

The town manager said new construction, including a Rite Aid store, pumped additional taxes into the community.

Linda Packard, Guilford Memorial librarian, said her budget of $41,905 represented a 3 percent increase in spending over last year to cover anticipated increases for utilities and fuel oil. Municipal officials have recommended funding this request from the town’s healthy surplus account.

Littlefield reported that before the budget work began the town had more than $300,000 in surplus. Including funds for the library, selectmen have proposed the use of $227,917 from the surplus account to help reduce the budget. Typically, the town carries about $100,000 in unappropiated surplus, he said.

A total of $15,357 has been recommended as the town’s contribution to several service programs. Although Head Start and the Piscataquis Regional YMCA had made no formal request for funds, the selectmen and the budget committee recommended $500 and $2,500 respectively. No funds were proposed for United Cerebral Palsy, Kennebec Mental Health and Maine Public Broadcasting.

The proposed budget includes funds to equip a number of utility poles with the hardware required to hang Christmas decorations. The committee was told that it costs about $75 to equip each pole to the specifications of the electric company.

Funds also are included in the budget to resurface and repaint the tennis court and for a summer recreation program that would augment YMCA and school summer programs.