HOLDEN – Town Manager Larry Varisco blushed when the Holden Town Council and residents in attendance stood during Tuesday’s special meeting and gave him a standing ovation for handing over a budget that is actually less than last year’s.

“The proposed municipal operating budget of $1,760,724 represents a decrease of $1,771 or .1 percent less than the current budget,” Varisco said in a memo to the board.

“This is really a very tight budget in my opinion,” he said at the meeting. “We’ve tried to be realistic. We’ve cut the line items so much there is nothing left to cut.”

That is, without cutting services.

The total town budget includes the combined municipal and school budgets along with county taxes, which are $183,318. Holden’s share of the school budget is projected to be $2,245,633, which is an increase of $115,098 or 5.41 percent.

The total budget is projected at nearly $4.2 million or an overall increase of 3.36 percent, which will mean a small increase in the mill rate from the current $21.56 per thousand of valuation to $21.78.

A portion of the town’s $535,961 undesignated fund balance will be used to reduce the budget in an effort to keep taxes from rising, said Chairman Joel Dearborn.

“The kicker will be determining how much you take out of this to offset property taxes,” he said.

Another big jump in the budget arises from increases to salaries for fire and law enforcement services.

“We’re operating on a shoestring,” Fire Chief Jim Ellis said. “Between police and fire we’re delivering services to a territory larger than Holden.”

The proposed salaries for the Fire Department increased by $7,014 and the police budget salaries increased by $11,231. One councilor suggested Holden take a proactive stance and start looking at expanding the Public Safety Department.

“We know the calls to Public Safety are ballooning,” said Michael Legasse. “We need to decide … are we going to do all we can for the community or are we just going to do what gets us by.”

During the meeting, the council also discussed cutting curbside trash and recycling pickup out of the sanitation budget for savings of $73,000 and to hold a public hearing in April to discuss what to do with the Old Town Hall.

The town’s annual budget hearing is April 12, starting at 6 p.m.