A proposal to offer a stipend to volunteer firefighters, a plan to replace aging office electronics and more money to improve lake water quality are among the proposals voters will consider at this year’s Town Meeting.

The meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Ladd Recreation Center at 26 Gott Road, also will include requests to shore up town buildings and town roads while limiting a potential tax increase to 2 percent, Town Manager Aaron Chrostowsky said. Town elections will be held Tuesday.

“It’s a fair budget,” Chrostowsky said.

Town spending would increase nearly 10 percent if the warrant passes as proposed, but that spending would not increase property taxes dramatically, Chrostowsky said. Overall expenditures, including the town spending and school and county assessments, would increase about 6 percent; but much of that would be offset by a 31 percent increase in other revenue, such as money from the state and from excise taxes. Selectmen also hope to use $30,000 from the transfer station capital reserve account and $100,000 in undesignated surplus to reduce the amount of money that must be raised in property taxes.

The tax rate would go from $14.20 to $14.37 per $1,000 of valuation if the budget passes as proposed. Chrostowsky said the average house in Wayne is valued at $183,000. Someone who owns a home of average value would pay $2,628 in property taxes under the proposed budget, which is $31 more than this year.

Selectmen hope to borrow $300,000 for road reconstruction and repaving on Kents Hill, Berry and Old Winthrop roads. The town would pay back a total of $320,000, including interest, over the life of the loan.

“There’s a commitment by the town to do more work on the roads,” Chrostowsky said. “There’s a lot of work being proposed.”

The warrant includes a new $7,000 line item for firefighter stipends. Volunteer fire departments around the state have had difficulty maintaining a force in an era of commuters and increased training regulations. Selectmen hope the money will make volunteering more appealing, Chrostowsky said.

“It’s been increasingly difficult to maintain and attract a volunteer firefighting force,” he said.

Selectmen hope to increase spending on lake protection projects from $500 to $5,000. The town last year gave $500 as a grant awarded in response to a request for proposals to improve lake water quality.

“It was a successful program,” Chrostowsky said. “This year we’d like to extend that a littler further.”

Groups and associations will be invited to submit project proposals specifically geared toward reducing soil erosion in the watershed. There’s a chance the state will add to or match the town grant, Chrostowsky said.

“There’s a direct correlation between good water quality and the value of homes on the lakes,” Chrostowsky said.

The warrant also includes an additional $60,000 to set aside for various reserve accounts, including an additional $5,000 toward a fire truck and another $5,000 toward fire equipment such as turnout gear; $18,000 to digitize the town’s tax maps and $3,000 for replacing old computers in the Town Office. There is also a $10,000 request to fix the fire station, sand and salt shed and the old town office.

“There’s just a number of minor repairs that will extend the life of the buildings,” Chrostowsky said.

Voting for town offices is schedule to coincide with the statewide election on Tuesday and will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the recreation center. Gary Kenny and Donal Welsh are running for two three-year openings on the Board of Selectmen, and Richard Spencer is seeking a three-year term on Regional School Unit 38 Board of Directors. There are no registered candidates for a three-year term on the local school committee or a one-year vacated seat on the RSU 38 board.

Craig Crosby — 621-5642

[email protected]

Twitter: @CraigCrosby4