The Scarborough Town Council voted unanimously last week to pass a combined municipal and school budget of $81.7 million for the new fiscal year.

The budget as approved on May 18 could add 41 cents per $1,000 of valuation, or $123 to the tax bill of a home valued at $300,000, according to Town Manager Tom Hall.

The combined spending package is up $3.5 million and includes six new positions on the municipal side: two police officers; two firefighters; an assistant manager, who would earn $84,500; and a sustainability coordinator, who would get a salary of about $61,000.

This week Council Chairman Bill Donovan told the Current a “very strong case” was made by the police and fire chiefs, as well as Hall, for the new town staff.

In all, he said, this year’s budget process was “very collaborative and cooperative,” adding that the “finance chairs on both the school and town side did a fantastic job.”

The municipal budget for the new fiscal year is nearly $31.6 million, and the school spending package stands at $47.5 million. Residents will have the final say on the school budget during a referendum on June 14.

Donovan called the unanimous vote on the overall budget “a highly desirable outcome,” while acknowledging that several residents spoke against the spending and “urged greater fiscal responsibility.”

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