New Vineyard voters will get a glimpse at the town’s proposed comprehensive plan and consider a 4.4 percent budget increase at the annual Town Meeting Saturday morning.

The proposed budget is $411,684, up 4.4 percent from the year before, said Clerk Arlene Davis. Voters will also be asked to consider taking $50,000 from surplus to keep taxes down. Information wasn’t available on how passage of the proposed budget would affect the tax rate.

The property tax rate for 2013 was $12.50 per $1,000 of valuation or $1,250 for a property valued at $100,000.

Davis said Chairman Fay Adams’ seat is up for election along with the position of road commissioner, held by Earl Luce, and two open planning board seats.

Nominations for elections are taken from the floor at the town meeting. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. at the Smith Building and voters will be able to register before the meeting at 9 a.m.

“We are sure that we have no frills in our budget and we do not see anything to cut,” Adams said in her annual report.

The majority of the increase comes from a $17,000 increase for winter road maintenance. Adams said in her report that roads and the school district are the two biggest tax expenditures.

Voters at the meeting will also hear an update on the town’s upcoming comprehensive plan, which is being drafted by a town committee. The town’s plan is 20 years old and is in need of updating to be in line with state requirements, according to the annual report.

Voters will be asked to raise $1,000 to cover printing, mapping and other costs associated with drafting the new plan.

For towns throughout the state, comprehensive plans serve as guides for the future of the municipality, including goals for economic development, natural and cultural resource conservation, land use patterns and the municipality’s role in the region. A public hearing will be scheduled when the plan is completed.

Grant programs give priority to towns with updated comprehensive plans. The Community Development Block Grant program will not award grant funding to towns without a consistent comprehensive plan and the Maine Department of Transportation gives priority funding to towns with consistent plans, the town report states.

Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252 kschroeder@centralmaine.com