VAN BUREN – Residents will get a second shot at the municipal budget in mid-September after a mix-up at the June town meeting resulted in a budget that is $205,000 higher than the state’s property tax levy allows.

A special town meeting had been proposed for Sept. 13, but the meeting will likely be later because of the complexity of proposing cuts in each of the town’s departments.

The special town meeting could be brief if residents approve the second article that will be on the warrant. That proposal would allow the town budget to exceed the tax levy limit.

If residents don’t approve going over the mandated limit, they will have to pore over some 30 articles proposing a series of cuts, department by department.

Town Manager Larry Cote said he believes townspeople may allow the budget to exceed the limit.

“Townspeople voted for the budget at the town meeting, and they seemingly felt comfortable with it,” he said. “If not, then we go item by item.

“Voters will be making the cuts,” he said. “Each proposed cut will be on the warrant.”

Residents at the annual town meeting in June did not know the budget they were voting on was $205,000 higher than the tax levy limit allowed. The error was discovered a few weeks ago when final figures were tallied for state reports.

In the interim, the Town Council agreed to raise property taxes by 3.25 mills to fund the approved budget. The tax increase has since been rescinded.

Van Buren’s tax rate in 2005 was 22.25 and the increase raised the rate to 25.5 mills.

At the annual town meeting, residents approved a budget totaling $1,424,939 for municipal expenditures. That did not include the town’s share of SAD 24 expenditures nor the town’s share of the Aroostook County budget.

Among the cuts Cote was considering Thursday was: $7,300 from the town office operating budget; $3,131 from the police department; $5,005 from the fire department; $4,318 from the town’s recycling program; $2,950 from recreation; $1,300 from the library; $3,000 from general assistance; $2,225 from community development; and $40,000 from the account for road resurfacing.

He is also proposing $35,040 in cuts to unclassified accounts, which include programs and agencies such as Resource Conservation and Development, Soil and Water Conservation Agency, Maine Acadian Heritage Council, the local Chamber of Commerce, Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery, American Red Cross, Aroostook County Action Program, Catholic Charities of Maine, Aroostook Area Agency on Aging and an alternative education program for special needs adults.

Cote said the current budget dilemma actually started last year when residents agreed to use $200,000 of surplus money to keep taxes down. He said the Town Council and residents were told the move could bite them in future years, and it has.

In other business:

. Town Councilor Charles Clarke, following through on an order by the council, stepped down as a firefighter and turned in his gear.

He has filed a claim against the town in the matter.

The council told Clarke he had to resign his position on the fire department because of the potential conflict of interest for a councilor to serve in that capacity. Officials reasoned that a fire chief could, among other things, find himself in a position of having to discipline his own boss, for instance.

. Despite a request to allow Cote to head the Maine Town and City Managers Association, the council did not change its position Monday night.

Cote, who had an opportunity to become the association’s president this year, said he was told he would have to do it on his own time, and use his own money for expenses.

Because he cannot afford to invest his personal time and money for the post, Cote said he resigned his position with the association.

. Finally, Clayton Belanger, superintendent of SAD 24, outlined the reasons why the town’s Gateway Elementary School should be closed and its pupils in kindergarten through grade six be moved into the secondary school building.

He said the school opened in 1976 with 550 pupils; now enrollment is down to about one-third that number. Last June, 36 sixth-graders graduated from the school; the entering kindergarten class has 21 pupils.

In the end, three town councilors supported the move, by consensus. No official vote was taken.

Residents will have the final say in the school’s fate in a referendum election.