WATERFORD — Voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting will act on a 62-article warrant that asks for a 3.15 percent increase in the municipal budget.

The meeting gets underway at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 5, in the Waterford Municipal Building at 366 Valley Road.

This year’s proposal for the municipal budget is $1,472,990, an increase of $22,963 over last year’s budget.

In his annual report to residents, Selectmen Chairman Randy Lessard said a request to increase the asphalt budget by $66,00 using surplus from last year’s highway and winter road budget (and $200,000 in taxes) is the biggest driver of the municipal budget increase.

“Last year’s surplus has left us with the opportunity to nearly double our paving budget of just two years ago [a $116,000 increase],” Lessard said in his annual report to voters. “Our hope is that the larger spend, coupled with falling oil prices, will allow us to truly double up on the miles of road paving.”

Lessard said the projected mil rate for this year’s budget is $15.40, up $.20 over last year, and approximately half of the average yearly increase since 2007.

Lessard said the rate is based on an estimated increase in the school and county budgets of approximately 3 percent each. If both of the budgets were to come in at last year’s projections, he said the mil rate would remain flat at $15.20 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Municipal budget increases requests include $63,089 for future equipment purchases and $40,000 for legal expenses.

Town meeting voters will also be asked to approve $45,000 for the fire department and $80,000 for health insurance premiums for full-time employees.

The board is asking voters to approve $118,214 for winter roads and $224,589 for highways and bridges.

A total of $26,300 is being requested for fuel, utilities and maintenance of municipal buildings; $113,338 for town official salaries; $169,031 for use and maintenance of the transfer station and $508,107 from 2015 revenues to lower the tax rate.

Lessard said this year marks the eighth year that revenues have exceeded spending. The year ended with an accumulated surplus of $1,731,104, up $145,000 from 2014.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net