"It's going to be a challenge to keep it [the local budget] level given the increases in the county budget," Doore said Monday.

Unlike previous years, there was little surplus left at the county level to reduce the tax commitment this year, so all towns saw considerable increases in their share of the county tax.

Doore said the town had to use surplus funds last year and must do so again this year to try to keep the mill rate level at $17.50 per $1,000 valuation. The town has about $170,000 in the surplus account, and she has proposed taking about $80,000 to reduce the tax commitment.

"Our goal is to keep it [the mill rate] even and not have an increase," Doore said. In addition, the town needs to wean itself from using surplus money to balance the budget or it could find itself in the same predicament as the county, she said.

On the municipal side of business, Doore said the town budgeted as tightly as possible, resulting in a $12,800 decrease in the gross municipal budget. The budget spending plan is a proposed $695,455.

Residents will be asked at the annual March 21 town meeting to approve a three-year revaluation plan. The town is now assessing at 73 percent market value and needs to increase that level, Doore said. The revaluation to be done in 2007 is anticipated to cost $40,000, so residents will be asked to raise $12,000 this year for the process and similar amounts in the next two years.

Doore said residents also must act to replace or renovate the dilapidated sand and salt shed. The town's insurance carrier canceled insurance on the building and advised the town that it would continue general liability insurance coverage only until March 31.

Doore anticipates that the project will cost up to $80,000 and expects that town officials will ask residents to borrow the funds over a 10-year period.

At the same time, residents will be asked to borrow $25,000 over a five-year period to continue the downtown improvements with the hope that the town would be successful in obtaining a Community Development Block Grant.

The proposed municipal spending plan will get its final review by the town's budget advisory committee at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 9, at the municipal building.

"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Tuesday, February 01, 2005 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."