CAMDEN, Maine — Most town employees will go without a pay raise during the next year if the budget committee’s recommendations are approved by voters in June.
The budget committee voted 13-2 at its Wednesday evening meeting to recommend a 2016-17 budget of $7,364,591, up 3 percent from the voter-approved 2015-16 budget of $7,151,110. The proposal also eliminates money set aside for repairs to the town clock.
The committee’s recommended budget is $402,000 less than what Town Manager Patricia Finnigan had proposed. One of the biggest reductions involves the elimination of a proposed 2 percent cost-of-living raise for about 50 municipal employees.
There are about 19 workers who still would receive step increases based on the town’s pay scale. Police officers are the only municipal employees covered by a labor contract and that agreement expires this year.
Another $99,000 was cut from the manager’s proposed capital improvement budget. One of the largest cuts in that package was $75,000 set aside to contribute to restoration of the town clock in the Chestnut Street Baptist Church steeple. The church began an effort last year to raise $538,000 for work to the church’s steeple, spire and clock.
The budget includes about $1.8 million for general government, about $100,000 more than the last budget largely because of higher insurance costs. The board also recommended slightly more than $1.1 million for the Police Department, about a $60,000 increase. The Fire Department budget is recommended at $413,000, about a $9,000 increase. The public works budget is proposed at $967,000, down about $5,000. The town’s contribution to the library budget is proposed at $415,000, up $20,000.
The proposed municipal budget now goes to the selectmen who will review the spending and revenue proposals before sending the package on to voters at the annual town meeting in June. If the Select Board’s recommendation is different than the budget committee, the separate recommendations will be on the June 15 warrants at which time residents can select one of those two or set a different amount.