A town budget down by about $100,000 goes to residents at the annual Town Meeting Wednesday.

The $100,000 reduction, officials said, comes largely from proposed spending on local roads, with the $450,000 proposed for major road construction being about $100,000 less than the current year’s budget for road work.

Rick Gray Jr., chairman of the selectmen, said town officials cut back spending on roads in large part to try to help offset a nearly $300,000 increase in Windsor’s share of the Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit 12 school budget.

“Roads have been a focus for a long time, and we’re still proposing a fairly large amount, $450,000,” Gray said. “We brought it down $100,000 because the school is going up $300,000.”

If everything on the Town Meeting warrant is approved as proposed, and the school budget is validated by voters on Tuesday, the tax rate, currently $12.70 per $1,000 of property value, is expected to increase. Officials won’t know by how much until later this summer after the town valuation is determined, according to Theresa Haskell, town manager.

Spending on roads is down somewhat but the $450,000 proposed would allow the town to continue its push, begun nine years ago, to improve roads.

Haskell said over the past nine years the town has reclaimed 59 percent of its roads, and has put shims and new pavement overlay on 87 percent, at a cost, together, of about $3.8 million.

The next roads to have work done on them are expected to include Reed, Bean, Doyle, Pinkham, Maxy Mills and Greeley roads, according to Haskell.

The Windsor Town Meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, upstairs at Windsor Town Hall.

One article on the warrant asks for voter permission to transfer up to $25,000 from the unassigned fund balance account, which is generally made up of funds unspent in previous years, to upgrade firefighter equipment. The Windsor Volunteer Fire Department’s four-bottle filling station that fills firefighters’ air bottles at fire scenes would be upgraded to a six-bottle system that would be installed on the department’s newly purchased utility truck.

Another article, which Haskell said residents may not need to vote upon, seeks permission to carry over funds appropriated at last year’s Town Meeting to complete work on a project paving the town office parking lot, replacing the office’s front porch, and installing an electronic changeable message sign. Voters approved $75,000 for the work last year. Haskell said work is taking place on it now, which may or may not be complete by the end of this fiscal year. If it is completed by then, Haskell said the article won’t need to be approved. If it isn’t, the town would need voters’ permission to use the funds to complete the project.

She said the work is expected to be done at less cost than the $75,000 appropriated by voters last year.

“Hopefully we may not need that article, they’re doing the work right now,” Haskell said.

A non-budget related warrant article would create a new ordinance to regulate the use of changeable signs in town.

“There are several that change in town,” Gray said of signs. “We didn’t have an ordinance in the past and, since we’re getting some of them, decided we ought to have one.”

Voting in local elections is Tuesday, though all local positions are uncontested. Polls at Windsor Town Hall will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @kedwardskj