KINGFIELD -– Members of the Kingfield Budget Committee met last Monday, April 19 to determine their recommendations for the upcoming full-year budget beginning July 1 and ending on June 30.

Committee member Fulton Ryan began discussion with the concept of starting the new fiscal year Town Meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and possibly a prayer, said Administrative Assistant Doug Marble.

Members also discussed the Homestead Exemption reimbursement from the state. Marble explained that next year the town will be responsible for $225 more per Homestead Exemption unit as a result of less reimbursement.

The budget committee turned around the selectmen’s recommendations of zero funding for many program requests such as Kingfield Days, Stanley Museum, Snowmobile Club and the Kingfield POPS which asked for their typical amounts. Some of these programs were recommended by the budget committee for a sixmonth period while others were recommended for a full-year. Much discussion arose from the town’s transition coming off a six-month budget from Jan. 1 to June 30 making each request unique. During the six month budget process, some programs and departments requested half-year amounts while others were granted full-year requests.

The POPS full-year request of $2,000 was recommended as was the request of the Economic Ministry for $1,500. Marble said “they felt like they were getting a whole lot of service for their money,” with the ministry.

A request for $1,000 from the Franklin County Chamber was set at $300.

The Kingfield Recreation Department’s $1,750 budget request was recommended as a six-month budget request. The KRD received a full-year request at the March town meeting which will take them through the calendar year. The $1,750 request is for the period of Jan. 1 of 2011 through the end of June.

Members agreed to pass a wastewater budget of $27,662 in appropriations and pay off $18,500 from surplus to avoid high interest rate payments.

Likewise the fire department debt service was also discussed, but due to a low interest loan, the debt remained intact. Funding for $53,300 was recommended for the KFD budget.

Under Public Works, a one-ton truck purchase was debated in particular concerning where the funds would come from. The cost for the truck with plow and sander was estimated at $50,000. It was understood that half of the costs would come from TIF funding and the other would come from either the truck reserve account costing taxpayers nothing or through town appropriations. The truck reserve account has $35,000 in it and $25,000 would largely deplete that amount which raised concern. Historically, the town contributes about $17,000 annually for the truck reserve account. The issue of where the funding for a new truck may come before town voters.

Animal Control and the Transfer Station budgets were also recommended. The Cemetery budget was also approved without the recommendation of approving a $10,000 stone wall improvement project.

A $300,000 fund balance recommendation was also approved for the purposes of lowering the tax commitment.