Newport selectmen complete $1.8 million budget

NEWPORT – The proposed 2005 budget was completed by Newport selectmen Wednesday night. It features less than a 1 percent increase over this year.

The $1.8 million proposal now will go before the town’s budget committee for ratification in late January before being voted on at the March annual town meeting.

Town Manager James Ricker said the budget reflected a $2,381 increase. “This is a very good budget,” he said.

“We shouldn’t have a tax increase based on town expenditures,” said board chairman Al Worden.

Ricker noted that depending on what the state does with increased educational funding, the town’s tax rate could even drop by two or three mills.

The final budgets reviewed Wednesday included fire, police, library, recreation, insurance, and debt service.

Newport Fire Chief Charles Erickson’s $95,838 budget was up by about $3,000, which reflected an increased payroll.

Erickson said the department has handled 586 calls so far in 2004, an increase of 98 calls over last year. Of those calls, 120 were to Palmyra, and many to Wal-Mart, which is just over the town line.

Municipal insurance costs dropped by $7,900 to $71,989. Ricker explained that was because of a nearly negligible number of workers’ compensation claims.

The recreation budget stayed the same as last year’s, at $53,000, while the library account rose by $3,000. This increase is attributed to a new half-time employee and the hiring of a consultant to begin preparing the library for its eventual move into the Newport Cultural Center.

Ricker said the town’s debt service was at less than $500,000 and includes payments on a Public Works truck, a firetruck, the recycling building and property in the industrial park.

The police budget, overseen by Ricker who also serves as police chief, was up by $9,000. The chief attributed this increase to part-time salaries, including salaries to replace a new officer for 18 weeks while he attended the Maine Criminal Justice Academy for training.

Ricker said the increase also includes additional training to bring all of his officers up from first responder to emergency medical technician status.

The chief also said the town has received a $6,375 grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund for the purchase of a four-wheeler, emergency lights and a trailer. The town’s match to the grant will be $2,125.

Ricker said that over the past two years, 12 ATVs have been stolen in Newport. Many have been found abandoned and torched alongside the railroad bed trail that runs from Newport to Greenville.

He said the town’s ATV will be used for trail patrols and will also be used by the Fire Department for remote rescues.