SACO — The Saco City Council has been presented multiple budget proposals for fiscal year 2020 and as it works to create a final budget, it must weigh both the needs of the city and the impact on the taxpayer.

Last month, the City Council directedFinance Director Glenys Salas to create a budget proposal that would cover contracted increases plus a maximum of 1.9 percent increase on other items.

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, Salas presented the City Council with a budget honoring this request.

The proposed $27.4 municipal expenditure budget created based on the council directive would increase the municipal mil rate by 49 cents. This, when combined with the school budget and the county taxes, which add a 10 cent raise to the mil rate, would increase the current $19.38 mil rate in Saco to $19.97

The council directive budget proposal when combined with the school budget and county taxes would increase property taxes about $118 on a $200,000 home.

Salas also presented an alternative budget proposal which was recommended by city staff and adds $700,000 more than the council directive budget.

The staff recommended budget proposal equates to a 26 cent overall mil rate increase over the staff directive budget, and would raise the current $19.38 mil rate to $20.23.

The staff recommended budget when combined with the school budget and country taxes would increase property taxes about $170 annually on a $200,000 home.

The City Council will review the budget proposal by city departments on April 1. A public hearing will be held on April 20.

The council is scheduled to vote on municipal and school budgets on May 13. This would be the final vote for the municipal budget. The school budget will go for a final vote at a city-wide referendum on June 11.

Councilor Marshall Archer said he couldn’t support a mil rate that was more than $20 .

“I do believe that yes, increases will happen, however, to go from $19.38 to $20.23 literally stopped my heart a little bit,” he said.

City Administrator Kevin Sutherland said that as the City Council hears from department heads, it will hear “many have compelling stories” of needs above what the City Council directive would fund.

For more information on the city budget process, go to www.sacomaine.org.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at [email protected].