A $13,000 bid for new assessing office furniture was approved by the town council last week, despite resistance from one councilor.

“I personally have a hard time spending this much money and getting all new furniture,” said Councilor Liz Wisecup. “I would like to wait until we get some more information and see if you can get something that is really satisfactory for a few thousand dollars cheaper.”

Tax Assessor David Sawyer said the furniture, designed by Creative Office Pavilion of Portland, would help with the space limitations in the department. The area needs to be open to the public, said Sawyer, but still have privacy for residents who want to discuss sensitive matters, such as financial troubles.

A design has been made for the office, which is still being renovated, and uses some existing furniture with space-saving in mind.

“Space is, too, an asset,” said Councilor Michael Shaughnessy.

The $13,000 will come from money the assessing office has saved in its spending as part of Windham’s expenditure control budgeting program that encourages town departments to save money by letting them keep half of the funds they save with the intention of encouraging frugality.

Councilor David Tobin praised expenditure control budgeting for bringing business-like incentives into government. Before it was implemented, Tobin said, if town departments didn’t spend their entire budget in a year, they could expect to see it cut.

Wisecup said some departments in the past have gone out of their way to spend their entire budget or request an inflated amount at the start of the fiscal year.

Expenditure control budgeting, according to Finance Director Brian Wolcott, was implemented in 1996. At the end of each fiscal year, half of the money a department was alloted but does not spend is set aside, encouraging cost-cutting measures.

The program does not let the department keep funds saved on salary. Wolcott said vacant positions in a department will not contribute to the money the department can keep.

Wolcott said the saved money can be spent by the department freely, or can be saved for the future.

Wolcott said the assessing department had a total of $17,000 at its disposal from past years. He said there was no additional money saved during the fiscal year that ended last June.

Wisecup said she supports the idea of expenditure control budgeting, but cautioned “It’s the taxpayers money we’re giving people rewards with.” Her request to look into purchasing off-the-rack office or state surplus furniture was denied.

“I think the town should project a professional image,” said Council Chairman John MacKinnon, adding that the public’s confidence in the town would suffer if they witnessed an office of shabby furniture.

Councilor Carol Waig said she bought furniture from retail stores like the ones Wisecup suggested and found it unreliable and broke easily.

“I was always told, buy the best tools you can afford,” said Sawyer. He said the Herman Miller furniture will save money in the long run because of its durability and 12-year guarantee.