Council to meet April 25 to set public hearing on 2008
budget
The Town Council will meet on Wednesday, April 25, for final discussions
on the fiscal year 2008 municipal budget and to set a public hearing for
May 7.
Wednesday's meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall chamber.
The council, meeting as the Finance Committee, met in workshop session Monday
to hear the School Department's presentation of its $18.9 million spending
plan for 2007-2008.
The proposed school budget is up $693,283 over this year's, an increase of
3.8 percent.
Three of the seven current town councilors pledged in 2004 to limit municipal
spending for the next three years to a level not higher than the consumer
price index, which this year is 2.5 percent.
Town Councilor Mary Ann Lynch, chairman of the Finance Committee, said feelings
among councilors on the school budget increase are mixed, but her sense
is that the increase that will be set to hearing will be between 2.5 and
3 percent.
Finance Committee members did agree that $150,000 for bleachers at the new
artificial turf field should not be added to a bond issue proposed for next
year.
At the May 7 hearing, the council will take public comment on the overall
budget proposal for town, school, Community Services and county spending;
the proposed $2.25 million bond issue; and, a proposal to increase building
permit fees.
The proposed town budget of $8.5 million is up 2.47 percent over this year's;
and Community Service's proposal of $976,236 is up 2.5 percent as well. Cape
Elizabeth's share of the Cumberland County budget, set at $936,220, is up
5.4 percent over this year's.
The council will also hear public comment on a proposed $2.25 million bond
issue which councilors will consider along with the 2008 budget. The bond
is slated to fund improvements to fund several town projects, including a
traffic light at the entrance of the High School.
Councilors will also take public comment on a proposed increase in building
permit fees. The proposal would increase fees from .7 percent of project
value to 1 percent, with a percentage of the additional revenues going to
fund improvements in the Town Center.
A final vote on the 2008 budget is anticipated for May 14.
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