NORTH YARMOUTH — The proposed fiscal year 2019 municipal budget, which goes to Town Meeting for a vote April 28, is currently due to increase 1.66 percent to $2.6 million, or just less than $43,000, over this year.

That number includes a nearly $337,000 assessment from Cumberland County, up about 3 percent, but does not take into account the town’s payment to School Administrative District 51.

The SAD 51 budget is due to be presented Monday, March 19, during a 7 p.m. meeting at Greely High School.

Not including that levy, the town budget would add 55 cents to North Yarmouth’s current tax rate of $16.27 per $1,000 of property valuation. A $300,000 home taxed this year at $4,881 would be charged $5,046, an increase of $165.

Town Manager Rosemary Roy said Monday that the budget as proposed does not include money drawn from the undesignated fund balance to offset taxes. The town used $200,000 in fiscal 2018 for that purpose.

North Yarmouth’s public works line item shows a $244,000 decrease, down to nearly $448,000, due largely to about $175,000 in road maintenance expenses being moved to the capital reserves category. Capital reserves are due to increase to nearly $444,000, a nearly $211,000 hike.

Municipal administration is projected to increase about $58,000 to approximately $497,000, due to cost-of-living increases and a roughly $24,000 North Yarmouth Memorial School caretaker position being moved into that category from public works.

The current tax rate, which was projected to be $18.24 per $1,000 of valuation in early 2017, ended up at $16.27 – down from the $17.62 the town levied in 2017. The drop was due to a nearly $50 million increase in town value, which offset tax impacts, Roy said last September.

Alex Lear can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.

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