Raymond will not be a part of the renewed effort to launch a bus service in the Lakes Region, as selectmen said Tuesday night that the rising costs are too prohibitive, and the proposal too vague.

Raymond was one of 12 towns originally asked to share the start-up costs for a bus service from the Lakes Region to Portland.

The plan was put on hold after only five of the towns approved the funds. News of the plan’s failure prompted at least two of the remaining towns-Raymond and Casco-to reconsider their participation, but in the meantime escalating fuel prices have caused the budget for the bus service to increase dramatically.

At the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, Raymond officials reviewed a memo from David Willauer, planning director for the Greater Portland Council of Governments, the organization charged with calculating the cost of a bus service.

According to Willauer, the towns’ share of the operating costs, which would be added to grants already secured, rose from an initial estimate of $50,000 to $82,800. Raymond’s share, based on population percentage, jumped from $3,848 to $12,755.

“It’s a tough call to say I’m for it at the costs they are saying now,” said Selectman Lonnie Taylor, who had asked for the topic to be included on the agenda. “But I’m for seeing how we can reduce those costs.”

While selectmen felt rising fuel prices made a bus service more attractive, the increasing start-up costs also made it more difficult for Raymond to sign on, especially after a particularly tough budget season.

Selectmen had original included the $3,848 in the budget, but removed it during the review process because they wanted to present a tight budget to the citizens, and were not sure if the proposal was going to move forward.

The town’s financial situation has not improved since then; on Tuesday, the board was informed that the number of summer road projects would decrease due to the rising cost of asphalt.

“If we are going to spend $13,000, I’d rather put it towards roads,” said Selectman Joe Bruno.

Selectmen were also concerned that the details of the proposal had not been fully thought out before towns were asked to put funds on the table. Particularly, they were worried that the council had not specified an exact pick-up location in Raymond.

“There’s too much shooting from the hip,” said Selectman Dana Desjardins.

Selectmen also wondered whether enough residents would use the service, and if the additional cost of a ticket would prove too expensive.

Town Manager Don Willard said he felt the organization had put a lot of time and effort into the proposal. Because the plan required the buy-in of 12 towns, working with different schedules and forms of government, before it moved forward, it was bound to be a difficult process, he said.

“There is some good faith to it,” said Willard. “It’s a chicken-egg problem.”

Though he was not advocating for the proposal, Willard said he felt he should provide the board with the correct information. While the money requested is a lot for a small town like Raymond, the funds from the municipalities is small compared to the grant funds-around $120,000-that would come as a result of the towns’ involvement, he said.

Once the initial cost has been covered, the program could probably run for a few years as a test, Willard said. However, he said, the service would likely need annual funding to continue.

While the board would not consider the proposal unless costs were lowered, Selectman Mike Reynolds, now the chairman, said the town could look into other ways to get residents to Portland, such as a van or a carpooling system.