No programs would be cut if voters at the annual town meeting approve Standish Town Manager Gordy Billington’s proposed town budget in June.

Proposed municipal spending total $7.14 million for the fiscal year that runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. This is up 14.3 percent from last year.

The current proposed mil rate is $9.55 per $1,000 of assessed value for homes, but Billington said that number is subject to change because the new school assessment for SAD 6 has not been calculated.

“We don’t know what’s going to go on in,” said Billington. “I would expect it to go up.”

If the mil rate does not change, the local tax bill on a $250,000 in Standish would be $2,388.

Last year the mil rate was $9.97 per $1,000 and $7.28 went to the schools and $2.07 went to the municipal department. The remainder went to Cumberland County taxes.

Billington said a new addition to the budget is automatic longevity pay raises for town employees who have been employed for five years or more. He said cost increases across the board are normal but most departments showed little growth in expenditures.

The budget does not create any new or expanded programs, but includes an intention to add an additional public works driver position next winter, which comes with a $30,000 annual salary. Billington said this position was created because the town will have 11 additional miles of state roads to maintain on Saco Road and routes 11, 25, 35, 113 and 114.

The public works department is seeing a 14.6 percent increase, bringing its total to $1.03 million.

Capital expenditures, which include one-time purchases and road improvements, are slated to include expanding the municipal center and public works buildings and total $1.2 million.

While the capital expenditures are up 68.3 percent over last year, Town Council Chairman Louis Stack said that’s normal.

“These things go up and down,” he said. “This is not an abnormal case,”

At the same time, general assistance is estimated to go down by $25,000 or one-fifth of last year’s budget. Billington said this prediction is based on the current year’s expenditures.

The budget will be submitted to the budget committee on or before May 1 where it may be amended. It will then need to be approved by a majority of both the town council and the budget committee, or five town councilors, to be put before voters at the annual town meeting on Saturday, June 14.