DURHAM – The proposed 2013 municipal budget for Durham would, if approved at town meeting April 6, result in 2.15 percent increase in spending and a 15 cent per $1,000 rise in the tax rate for its 4,000 residents. The new budget has been pegged at $2,642,881, an increase of $55,726 from the 2012 spending plan. The figure also includes an $8,221 hike in county taxes.

Budget proposals include a $13,586 increase in funding for the towns fire and rescue departments to cover the cost of responding to a high number of structure fires in 2012, said Janet Smith, administrative assistant for Durham.

“Unfortunately, we had more structure fires last year, which caused that particular line of the budget to go over,” said Smith. “Sometimes it’s not so much how many calls the fire and rescue go on, but the length of those calls. With house fires, you need more personnel to respond and for a longer period of time.”

The town would see a decrease in the cost of emergency dispatch services after entering into a contract with the town of Lisbon, a switch from a previous contract with Androscoggin County. The savings comes from the elimination of a special line, also known as a radio loop, that the town now must use with the county because the radio frequencies used by Durham are too close to those used by the county.

Other increases in the proposed 2013 budget include $1,920 for personnel administration, $5,288 in solid waste removal, $1,250 for assessing, and $2,232 for the Planning Board.

Overall, Smith said, “the budget is what is. Both the select board and budget committee worked very hard to do the best for taxpayers without jeopardizing the fiscal well-being of the town.”

Jeff Wakeman, chairman of the Durham Board of Selectmen, said this was the first year he could remember when the budget committee and his board were in total agreement on the budget proposals.

“We tried very hard to hold the line with spending and taxes,” Wakeman said. “It’s a process but hopefully we did our best for the town.”

Smith said if residents approve a warrant article to authorize a town-run public works department, it would not affect this year’s budget.

“There would obviously be no repayment this year if people approve the warrant. It would authorize the select board to seek bonds for the public works project and be included in next year’s fiscal budget,” said Smith.