DOVER-FOXCROFT – A proposed 2008-2009 municipal budget of $1.97 million will be forwarded to the town’s budget advisory committee for scrutiny.

The municipal budget, which excludes county, overlay and school costs, reflects an increase of $308,079 to be raised locally.

If the proposed municipal budget is approved and if the school budget and the municipal valuation remained the same as last year, those costs coupled with overlay and county expenses would result in $4.3 million to be raised locally. This would represent a 7.31 percent increase over the 2007-2008 budget, Town Manager Jack Clukey told selectmen Monday.

The $4.3 million would increase the mill rate from $15.58 to $16.72 per $1,000 property valuation.

Clukey told selectmen the amount to be raised likely will be higher once the school budget is known.

The proposed municipal budget includes a 2.24 percent cost-of-living adjustment for town employees and the addition of a full-time maintenance person for the Morton building. It also includes purchase of a pickup truck for the wastewater department since the previous truck was demolished in a collision with a tractor-trailer earlier this month, and a new police cruiser.

In other business Monday, selectmen signed the final draft of a purchase-and-sales agreement with Mayo Regional Hospital for the town’s Mayo Street building. The Marion Doore Park is excluded from the sale as is part of the parking lot on the park side. The agreement also includes a covenant to allow the Penquis Higher Education Center to use the parking lot on the back side of the Mayo Street building when needed.

Selectmen voted to conduct a public hearing March 24 to discuss a proposal to discontinue School Street to allow for proposed construction of a new courthouse. In addition, the hearing will cover the proposed discontinuance of the old right of way on Route 153 Greeley’s Landing Road. The town proposes to maintain an easement over the two roads for utility work.

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