RAYMOND – After almost two hours of discussion and debate, the Raymond Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved the proposed 2011-2012 municipal budget.

The proposed municipal budget is $3,645,536, a decrease of $2,433 over the current year’s spending plan. If approved, it would mark the fifth year in a row the town has not increased municipal spending.

The board made no changes to the budget on Tuesday, approving it by a tally of 4-1, with Charlie Leavitt opposed. The budget will be considered and voted upon by the Budget/Finance Committee on March 28, then go before the town’s residents for a vote at the June 7 town meeting.

The only changes that will be made before the June meeting will be to articles 2-8, which are currently being held as placeholders until the Planning Board inserts ordinances at its March 16 meeting. Those articles will then be voted on by the selectmen at the April board meeting.

Board Chairman Joseph Bruno started the budget review Tuesday by announcing the board would work through the proposed town meeting warrant article by article and discuss any issues that may appear in that article, a format Selectman Charlie Leavitt immediately criticized.

“Going through the articles without a full-blown discussion isn’t in the best interest of the public,” said Leavitt. “We as a board have never sat down and collectively discussed this budget.”

Bruno disagreed.

“That’s what we are doing right now.”

Bruno and Town Manager Don Willard also pointed out that the budget was presented by Willard to the selectmen and Budget/Finance Committee on Feb. 22 and could have been discussed at that point.

Bruno acknowledged Leavitt’s dislike of the format but continued the review article by article.

A motion was made by Selectman Michael Reynolds to increase the amount of article 27 by $18,000. As stated, the article would raise and appropriate the sum of $607,981 for the public works department, a number Reynolds felt was too small.

“I would use the money to add on flaggers for our busiest time in summer,” Nathan White, director of public works, said.

Reynolds suggested taking $18,000 from the undesignated town fund to offset the additional $18,000 spent on the article in order maintain the selectmen’s goal of not exceeding the LD1 levy limit. The LD1 limit requires residents to vote once a budget exceeds the previous year’s budget by a certain amount based on growth.

Leavitt disagreed with the motion.

“I think it’s irresponsible to add to this budget,” said Leavitt. “It’s irresponsible to use the undesignated fund budget.”

Reynolds and Bruno disagreed with Leavitt.

“We have had a flat budget for five years,” said Bruno. “To call it irresponsible is unbelievable.”

The motion was voted down 3-2.