BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford City Council has approved a municipal budget that will raise property taxes by about 2 percent.

Councilors voted late Tuesday after some last-minute changes to the $32.4 million municipal portion of the budget, which will take effect July 1.

The council added two firefighters, at a cost of $180,000 and increased the contingency fund by $140,000. Other changes included providing $30,000 to the J. Richard Martin Community Center for its sprinkler system, giving $10,000 in start-up funds to the Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center, and adding another $5,000 to the budget of the downtown revitalization organization Heart of Biddeford. The funds will be used to promote downtown businesses.

The budget approved by the council excludes the education and county budgets.

At the current valuation, the city budget passed by the council adds about 41 cents to the tax rate, City Manager James Bennett said, or about $82 a year to a property tax bill on home assessed at $200,000. He added that new property valuations are being conducted and when they are completed the new tax rate could be several cents lower than the current rate. However, he said, most homeowners will have to pay about 2 percent more in property taxes in the new fiscal year.

The K-12 education budget, approved by the City Council on May 15, is about $37 million, with an additional $754,000 for Adult Education. Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray has said this will add less than 1 cent to the mil rate. In order for the education budget to take effect it must be approved by residents at a referendum on June 12.

Associated Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324, or at:

dmendros@journaltribune.com.