WINDHAM – After years of spending less money on roads and buildings in an effort to limit tax increases, Windham’s municipal budget for next year has an emphasis on capital improvement projects, specifically roads.

Town Manager Tony Plante has proposed a 2 percent increase, to $14.1 million, for the new budget. Since other revenue sources such as excise taxes are only expected to increase 0.8 percent, property taxes would rise 3 percent, or 13 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, to make up the difference.

The Windham-Raymond school budget, which accounts for two-thirds of Windham’s property tax rate, is also set to rise 3 percent, pending school board and voter approval.

The town’s three-member finance committee, made up of town councilors Matt Noel, Kevin Call and Tommy Gleason, is meeting several times in coming weeks to finalize a municipal budget that it will present to the council. The final budget is then submitted to Windham voters at annual town meeting in June.

While the operating budget stays flat under Plante’s plan, the emphasis on capital improvements is reflected in the proposed 11.9 percent increase in the capital improvement account. For roads, Plante is calling for a $150,000 increase, to $700,000. The building improvement budget would increase $43,000, to $162,500. Part of the money, Plante said, will be spent on a facilities condition report.

“We’re continuing to invest in capital equipment replacement. We’re putting more money into roads. But we also have increased asphalt and fuel prices, so we need to increase road improvement funding to make sure we don’t fall behind,” Plante said.

Plante said if the council approves the additional funding, the public works department would determine which roads to address according to a road pavement condition report.

Plante’s proposed budget also calls for added money for e-government, in which the town’s digital infrastructure would be improved to include more meetings posted on the web and the issuance of Apple iPad devices to town councilors. That would allow them to receive council information packets digitally and they also would not have to use their personal computers to conduct town business.

“I wouldn’t say it’s widespread, [but] we’re not anywhere near being the first. Communities have been issuing councilors notebook computers and doing electronic distribution of packets for a while,” said Plante. “But it is a step for us. There is both hard cost savings and soft cost savings in terms of packet preparation and distribution, printing costs. Having councilors receive their town emails on the iPads means they’ll be able to separate (town business) completely from their home or work computer. I think overall it will help accessibility to councilors. It should make it easier for them to have access to council materials, and email for constituent relations. I think it’s a win-win for both councilors and constituents.”