SABATTUS — Town Manager Anthony Ward told the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night that the town’s share of county taxes increased by 5.53 percent over last year.

Ward said the town’s Androscoggin County assessment for the 2019-20 fiscal year is $367,924.

“I think that’s irresponsible,” Selectman Connie Castonguay said. She wondered whether the increase in the state’s minimum wage were to blame. It increased from $10 an hour to $11 this year.

Selectman Guy Desjardins said he didn’t think the wage increase was responsible for the tax hike.

“The contracts have already been done,” he said. “Look at capital improvements, and construction.”

Board Chairman Mark Duquette agreed that it would “be nice to see what the increase is for.”

Ward said he would look into it.

In other business, selectmen:

• Discussed the town’s budget and the projected revenue for 2019-20 of $1.89 million. Ward said that is a $167,000 increase over 2018-19’s projected revenue. He said the increase is mostly from homestead exemptions and state revenue-sharing.

• Briefly discussed Ward’s recommended capital budget of $681,000. The Budget Committee and selectmen will meet separately next week to go over the budget line by line, and will make recommendations at the April 2 meeting.
• Appointed resident Bekah Krise as an alternate member of the Planning Board to serve a three-year term.

Ward announced that the three candidates for police chief were interviewed Tuesday, and a unanimous recommendation would be given at the next selectmen meeting.