BOWDOIN — Bowdoin’s annual town meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Saturday at Bowdoin Central School.

Before voters are 65 articles reflecting a proposed $966,186 budget — a 1 percent decrease from fiscal year 2011, according to Carol Laverdiere, town secretary.

The amount officials seek to appropriate through taxation is $266,304 — an increase of about $7,000. The current property tax rate is $11.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, but the 2012 tax rate can’t be estimated until the School Administrative District 75 and Sagadahoc County budgets are determined in June. Bowdoin pays taxes to both.

The proposed 2012 budget would take $243,000 from surplus, Laverdiere said, noting that town officials budget to take less from surplus than is expected to go back into the surplus account that year. The town replenishes the surplus account annually with money left over from the previous year and from other revenue sources such as the cable franchise, General Assistance reimbursements, as well as veterans and homestead exemptions reimbursement money.

At the 2010 town meeting, voters approved an article authorizing selectmen to solicit bids for the construction of an addition to the 1,100-square-foot town office, which was built in 1989. On Saturday, voters will decide on Article 22, which requests authorization to construct a 1,300-square-foot addition to the town office. Article 22 also authorizes selectmen to select a construction firm, procure services and execute any documents necessary as part of the project.

To fund the construction, selectmen recommend an amount of $155,000 — by taking $ 84,836.72 from the Reserve for Maintenance or Additions to Town Buildings; and $70,163.28 from the Town Forest Reserve account.

As of the end of 2011, the maintenance or additions account held $84,836, according to Laverdiere, and the forest reserve account totaled about $ 325,000. The latter derives from revenue generated by the harvesting of townowned forest land.

In preparation for the 2010 vote, Bowdoin Selectman Leroy Letourneau said the expansion would give the town another conference meeting room, provide more storage space for records, another bathroom and more space for residents doing business with the tax collector and codes enforcement officer. He added that lines for the tax collector have stretched all the way outside and down the walkway.

Space to accommodate people waiting to see the tax collector or codes officer remains a problem, Letourneau, who chairs the Board of Selectmen, said Friday. He said the expansion should double the town office size and alleviate the problem of forcing people to wait outside.

The $ 155,000 price tag is based on bids town officials obtained from two of the three local contractors asked to submit proposals, Letourneau said. Selectmen have a contractor in mind, which he said will be discussed at town meeting.

The single-story addition will match with the current building, including the brick facade and vinyl siding. And as proposed, the town would not borrow any money for the project.

Letourneau said Bowdoin officials tried to hold the line on taxes “because the economy is what it is.”

Saturday’s meeting also marks the end of Selectman John Simonson’s three-year term. Simonson said Friday that he will not seek re-election. He said he has enjoyed his time as a selectmen and called it a wonderful experience.

Gwendolyn Thomas is finishing a second three- year term on the SAD 75 board of directors Saturday. “I will be running again,” she said March 1, adding she likes being involved in what the school district is doing. “It’s just a great bunch of people who work really hard and try to do their best for the kids in the district.”

Copies of the annual report for 2011, which contains the 2012 warrant, are available at the town office, the Bowdoin Town Store and at the Bowdoin Post Office.

dmoore@timesrecord.com