WATERVILLE — City councilors on Tuesday will consider taking the first of three needed votes on a proposed $37.8 million municipal and school budget for 2015-16 that would increase the tax rate from $27.40 per $1,000 worth of valuation to $29.90.

It’s the third time the council has met with the intention to take the first vote on the budget.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at The Center and will be preceded by a workshop to review the city charter.

The council will also consider licenses for the former Bob-In restaurant on Temple Street, which has been sold and is being renamed the Temple Street Tavern.

The city’s finance committee met last week and made new recommendations for proposed cuts to the budget that would increase the tax rate only to $27.90 per $1,000 or $28.08 per $1,000, City Manager Michael Roy said Monday.

Cuts would include removing a proposed code enforcement position for $57,000; $70,000 from public works; $50,000 in paving projects; a $32,000 police cruiser; $16,000 in copier costs; and funding to outside agencies, including $10,000 to Kennebec Behavioral Health and $3,500 to the Mayors Coalition.

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The city also would take $400,000 from surplus to reduce the budget, and the schools would take $50,000 from surplus. Revenues to be used to reduce the proposed budget would include $11,000 in municipal pool fee increases and revenues from Quarry Road Recreation Area, $10,000 in increased IT fees to area towns, $80,000 in special funding for Chromebooks in schools and $185,000 in increased school revenues.

Councilors twice have postponed voting on the proposed budget on June 2 and last Tuesday. On June 2, they postponed because three councilors were absent and the council did not have a quorum. On June 9 they postponed to Tuesday because they said they were not ready to vote on the budget until changes were made and the budget total reduced.

The city’s fiscal year ends June 30, but city officials have said if the budget has not been approved by then, the city would continue operating under its 2014-15 budget. They have cited difficulty in preparing a budget when they do not know how much the city and schools will get from the state. The state has not yet issued those numbers.

The city’s finance committee initially recommended slashing $600,000 from the proposed $37.8 million budget by cutting $200,000 in paving and public works projects, a police cruiser and funding to outside agencies, as well as using $400,000 from surplus. Mayor Nick Isgro, on the other hand, recommended cutting the proposal by $1.2 million.

Also, the council will consider issuing liquor, food and special amusement licenses to Temple Street Tavern, formerly known as The Bob-In restaurant and lounge, at 17 Temple St.

Bob-In owner Jibryne Karter said Monday that he sold the business to his brother Fred, who owns Jokas’ Discount Beverage next door at 52 Front St. Karter owned and operated the Bob-In for 43 years.

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In other matters Tuesday, councilors will consider approving three-year collective bargaining agreements between the city and police commanding officers’ unit, as well as the patrol officers’ unit of the Maine Association of Police.

The proposals include a 2 percent pay increase for police starting July 1, a 2 percent increase starting July 1, 2016, and a 2.5 percent increase starting July 1, 2017, according to Roy.

The council will consider approving a change to the zoning ordinance that would allow a residential garage to be built at 133 Water St. and 41 Carey Lane in the city’s South End.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17


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