Taxpayers will see fewer services, slightly higher property taxes or some combination of both to account for a reduction in state revenue sharing to fill a $316,000 budget gap.

Town councilors set a public hearing for July 29 to take residents’ comments.

The actual shortage is closer to $200,000, Town Manager Gary Brown said, due to recalculations based on known numbers rather than estimates that were available at the time the budget was prepared in June.

During preliminary discussion Monday, councilors offered several suggestions but failed to reach a consensus on how to fill the gap. Earlier this year, Brown pitched a series of cost-saving measures — some modest, others Draconian — that would meet the town’s expenses while limiting the tax increases to a council-imposed cap of 7 percent.

The final tax increase had been set at 6.7 percent. By raising it to 7 percent, the town could generate about $125,000 in additional revenue.

Brown referred to an earlier list of options that councilors considered during the first round of budget cuts in May and June, which include cuts to town arts, library, transportation and welfare services, as well as delays in police and emergency vehicle replacement.

Alternative savings also could be found by eliminating on-call stipends for firefighters, but Brown warned that many of the personnel likely would stop answering calls if the stipends were removed.

At-large Councilor Benet Pols said several repaving projects in his neighborhood could be delayed a year, which would preserve $87,000. He also suggested the remaining shortage be split between a tax increase and departmental cuts.

None of the cuts at this point would result in job losses, Brown said. But he warned that the council has to make a decision.

“There has been an unwillingness to eliminate services, and the only other option is to enhance revenues — which is government-speak for raising taxes,” he said.

Likewise, council Chairwoman Suzan Wilson expressed some frustration that “in a $20 million budget, not being able to find $200,000 (in reductions) is disturbing.”

In other business Monday, District 6 Councilor and current Vice Chairwoman Margo Knight announced she will not seek re-election when her term expires this fall.

After six years, “It’s time for me to step off and let someone else take part in this very exciting district,” Knight said.

Knight’s announcement is the second in as many months: Tucker announced in June that he, too, would not seek another term.

Regarding elections, councilors heeded public sentiment against relocating a central polling station at the town’s new recreation center at Brunswick Landing.

Instead, the council decided to retain voting at Brunswick Junior High School at least through November’s off-year election.

However, the council agreed to study the feasibility either of adding a second voting station to make it easier for east Brunswick residents to cast their ballots, or perhaps returning to maintaining polls in each of the town’s seven districts.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com