PATTEN – Voters in Patten will decide whether to give the nod to a $452,082 municipal budget when they go to the polls during their annual town meeting next week.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 14, at the Patten Recreation Building. Voting at the recreation building will begin at noon and end at 6 p.m., and the meeting will follow at 7 p.m.

Town Manager Ruth Peters said Thursday that the budget is up approximately $20,000 from last year.

“It is mostly due to the price of gasoline, a snowplowing contract and the cost of heating oil,” she explained.

Four candidates are also running for two three-year terms on the Board of Selectmen this year.

Two building project options also will go before voters.

Voters will be asked to authorize the Board of Selectmen to seek bids to either renovate the town office at its existing location or construct a new municipal building at the former Patten Grammar School site.

Incumbents Sally Landry and Stephen Yates are being challenged by Harriette Parker and John Marr for those posts.

Voters also need to elect two members to the SAD 25 school board.

Peters said Thursday that Tammy Craig, who was appointed last year to fill a vacated position on the board, is running for another two-year term. John R. Birmingham, Lida Burns and incumbent Kenneth Perkins are all vying for one three-year seat on the board.