FARMINGTON — The Board of Selectmen will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, for its first review of budget requests from departments.

The Budget Committee will convene at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, to work on the proposed budget.

Both meetings are at the Municipal Building.

The budget requests total $5,062,085, which is $139,620 more than voters approved for the past year, according to information provided by the town.

While most requests reflect departmental trimming or slight increases, Farmington Fire and Rescue is seeking an increase of $94,486. That is 29.77 percent more than the $317,342 appropriated in 2013, for a total request of $411,828.

Most of the increase reflects the addition of per diem personnel. There are two firefighters working Monday through Friday and the request is for four firefighters working seven days a week, starting April 1.

It means $113,568 for per diem work, instead of $43,099 approved last year. 

As members of the volunteer department age or leave to pursue other interests, the personnel needed to maintain the department is not available, according to the department’s budget explanation.

Since 2009, the department has lost 17 members. Although some have died, moved or retired, others no longer have the time to maintain the training needed to be a firefighter. Some work out of town or cannot leave their jobs to respond to calls.

Along with the per diem workers, the department will try to recruit other members trained in firefighting, maybe drawing them from surrounding communities.

Another large increase proposed is for property, casualty, fidelity and unemployment insurances.

Voters appropriated $65,000 in 2013 for town insurance and by mid-December $73,748 had been used. An increase to $85,000, 30.77 percent more, is requested for 2014.

Nearly $15,000 has been eliminated from the budget by the board’s decision to drop membership in Sandy River Recycling Association. No funding for outside agency requests such as American Red Cross or Safe Voices is included.

abryant@sunjournal.com