NEW PORTLAND — Road repairs and a slight increase in town office salaries will be the focus of the annual town meeting on Saturday.

“There are some minor increases in costs, but everything is pretty status quo. I don’t expect there to be any major issues,” said Town Manager Stacie Rundlett.

Residents will gather to vote on 40 articles in the town warrant at 9 a.m. Saturday at the fire station.

Selectmen are recommending a budget of $488,364, down from last year’s $530,334. The amount of money the town will need to collect is actually up slightly, though, as last year’s budget drew $92,814 from surplus to pay some outstanding debts.

Rundlett said the biggest proposed increased costs are in accounts funding administrative salaries, winter road repairs and the town transfer station.

Selectmen are recommending a $4,594 increase to town office salaries and expect to pay $4,506 more in insurance costs for administrators.

They are asking for an additional $18,000 for winter road work and an additional $8,920 for the town’s transfer station. The added cost for road repairs comes from having to negotiate a new contract after the old one expired, Selectwoman Andrea Reichert said.

She also said transfer station expenses have increased because fuel prices have gone up and the town has seen an increase in the volume of waste and recycling it processes. Reichert said she wasn’t sure why the volume increased, but the town switched to a single-sort recycling system toward the end of 2011, which made it easier to recycle.

Elections will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at the fire station. There are no contested races.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
rohm@mainetoday.com

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