Lincoln panel eyes $3 million spending plan Property taxes would increase under proposed town budget

LINCOLN – Members of the budget committee will begin deliberations on a $3 million municipal budget proposal Thursday.

Town Manager Glenn Aho estimates the tax rate could increase by 30 cents, from $19.30 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $19.60. A resident with a home valued at $70,000 would pay $21 more in a tax bill.

He said the estimated tax rate was based on his budget proposal, which includes the Penobscot County tax assessment, but no increase in the school budget.

The total municipal budget proposal of $3,029,679.11 represents an increase of $171,891, or 6 percent compared with last year.

The amount proposed to be raised from local taxes is $1,346,751.87. It represents an increase of $123,968, or 10.1 percent compared with last year.

“Aside from the usual increase in costs for goods and services, this budget offers little in the way of new items that would significantly impact the bottom line,” said Aho. “This budget [provides] a level of service that is expected from our residents. There are modest changes that will allow us to keep improving our services.”

Aho said the budget proposal included no new positions. He said 94 percent of the increase from local taxes is for capital projects.

The single largest increase in the budget proposal is for capital projects. Proposed is $337,104, an increase of $116,859 compared with last year.

Aho said the proposal included funds to replace old equipment that is in poor shape, such as a plow truck and a trailer at the transfer station. He said the price of plow trucks had increased by $10,000 in a two-year period. Proposed purchases and projects include: $78,500 for a new plow truck; $49,000 for a new transfer station trailer; $30,000 for the first lease payment on a new firetruck, which was approved by voters last year; $24,850 for a new police cruiser; and $15,000 for cemetery restoration.

The manager said the proposal included funds to restore a portion of the West Broadway cemetery where stones have fallen or are broken. “They [the stones] will be washed, cleaned, repaired and straightened,” he said.

Aho said the town’s transfer station budget continued to increase because of environmental regulations regarding the disposal of various items, such as tires, ash, freon and construction and demolition debris. Because scrap metal prices have dropped, it is now costing the town money to dispose of its metal pile. “It used to be a revenue generating venture, but now it’s an expense,” he said.

The manager said the regular operating costs of the transfer station had not changed much, but disposal costs had increased. Transfer station accounts are up $22,094 compared with last year.

Aho said premiums for general liability, auto and other insurances had increased by nearly $12,000 since Sept. 11.

The budget includes funding to bring call firefighters (paid volunteers) rates more in line with area departments, who pay $10 to $12 per hour. Lincoln call firefighters’ pay rates now range from $6.12 an hour to $9.59 depending on training levels. The proposal would increase the rates to a range of $8 an hour to $12.

Budget committee workshops will be held at 6 p.m. in the municipal building on the following dates: April 18, April 25, May 2 and May 9. The Town Council will hold two sessions on May 30 and June 6 to review the budget proposal. Public hearings are scheduled for June 17 and June 24.