LIVERMORE — The Budget Committee in June will recommend a spending plan of nearly $1.19 million, which is $30,371 less than the Board of Selectpersons’ proposal.

The Budget Committee’s plan represents an increase of $23,269 over the current budget, while the select board’s plan reflects a $53,640 increase.

Both recommendations will appear on the June town meeting warrant. 

The Budget Committee met Thursday to review the board’s spending plan for 2012-13. The board’s net budget, factoring in carryovers and departmental revenues, is $1.09 million. That amount exceeds the state’s legal growth factor by $24,188.

The Budget Committee wanted to cut spending so the municipal budget would come in at or under the growth cap, Chairwoman Tina Quirrion said Tuesday.

The panel recommends freezing employees’ wages at the current rate, she said. She said committee members were under the impression that raises would be between 1.5 percent and 3 percent, with only one person getting the higher raise amount.

Town Treasurer Kurt Schaub said Tuesday that the selectpersons’ budget reflects a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for all but two employees. Two recent hires are paid below average and are slated to receive an increase based on performance, he said.

The budget panel also recommends eliminating $15,000 to create a proposed building reserve fund that is included in the selectpersons’ proposal.

The money, according to Schaub, would be dedicated to updating or replacing town buildings.

The Budget Committee also eliminated $4,000 from a proposed Cemetery Capital Improvement account, Quirrion said.

“Nobody could give us a proposal on exactly what the money would be used for,” Quirrion said of the town accounts.

The committee wants a detailed plan for the reserve and capital improvement accounts, she said.

“Why would we take the money away from taxpayers if we don’t know what we are going to do with it?” Quirrion said.

The money in the cemetery capital account was to be put away toward cutting 26 trees, some threatening Revolutionary War and other headstones, in Lakeside Cemetery next to Brettuns Pond, Schaub has said. The work was estimated to cost up to $50,000 if all trees were taken care of at once. A plan was supposed to be developed that would have the work done in stages, but it was not done this year.

Among other suggested cuts, the budget panel recommends reducing the selectpersons’ recommended $6,400 for the Highway Department Capital Equipment account to $3,800.

Money in that account is budgeted to replace a nearly 30-year-old compressor, to buy a new chain saw and to replace hand tools and power equipment. The compressor is estimated to cost about $2,800, Schaub has said.

The Budget Committee took out money for the chain saw and hand tools but was open to the chain saw to be bought within the panel’s recommended equipment budget, Quirrion said.

She said the Budget Committee talked about being brought in when the select board first reviews the budget next year.

“We’re not trying to step on any toes,” she said. “We’re just trying to keep prices down.”

dperry@sunjournal.com