BRUNSWICK

Despite a round of spending cuts almost two months ago, Brunswick’s municipal operating budget still faces a gap of about $316,000 due to reductions in state revenue sharing.

To close the gap, Town Manager Gary Brown has suggested delaying vehicle replacements, reducing road repaving projects, and 1.5 percent spending reductions for all departments.

Other potential fixes include increasing property tax rates by 0.4 percent — bringing the overall property tax increase from 2012 to 6.99 percent to raise an additional $130,000 — and $118,500 in “Tier Two” budget cuts that would hit busing, library, holiday, art and music programs.

Town officials estimated state revenue sharing would be far less in Fiscal Year 2013 than in Fiscal Year 2012. The state budget — passed last week after a legislative override of Gov. Paul LePage’s veto — contains even less than the reduced amount Brown had expected.

Amendments to both town and school budgets will be presented during the July 15 meeting, with a public hearing to follow July 29.

Because the council has not scheduled any August meetings, adoption of the final budget amendments likely would occur during its Sept. 3 meeting.

As of Friday, after the legislative veto, schools Superintendent Paul Perzanoski and Finance Manager Jim Oikle said the town would receive $477,000 more from the state than they expected. However, the majority of that will be swallowed by transfer of teacher retirement funds from state to local school districts, Perzanoski said.

Overall, Brunswick still received $1 million less from the state this year, Brown said.

“The schools didn’t get hit as hard as they thought they would, but (the town’s overall state apportionment) is still going to be close to a million dollars less than last year,” Brown said.

“There are still a lot of unknowns with regard to the legislation and the schools’ planning purposes.”

No TIF yet

There is no tax increment financing agreement yet announced between the town and Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Association.

At-large Town Councilor John Richardson Jr. said he believes the two sides “are there.”

Richardson and District Two Councilor Ben Tucker have spent four months negotiating the agreement with MRRA board members Steve Weems and Sandy Updegraph.

Richardson said he expected a final deal would be ready for a public hearing by the end of the month.

Councilors entered an executive session near the end of Monday’s regular meeting to discuss the pending agreement but took no public action before adjournment.

War Remembrances

Councilors Monday also voted to take possession of stone Civil War memorial tablets, previously displayed in the former town hall building, and exhibit them when the municipal offices relocate to the McLellan Building next year.

The tablets have been stored at the Pejepscot Historical Society. One name etched into the granite is Brunswick native James Lewis, who died 150 years ago today — July 2, 1863 — in the fighting at Gettysburg, Pa., during the pivotal battle at Little Round Top.

Councilors also unanimously approved a resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 1953 ceasefire that suspended hostilities in the Korean War.

“This is just a cease-fire, it is on-going,” said District 1 councilor David Watson. “You look at what’s going on in the North and South (of the Korean peninsula), and it could break out again at any time.”

“There’s an on-going situation that requires American soldiers to be stationed over there,” said Councilor Ben Tucker, alluding to Brunswick resident and U.S. Army soldier Eric Haas, who died in 2012 while on active duty in South Korea.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com