BIDDEFORD — Although no specifics for the upcoming year’s budget have been presented to the Biddeford City Council, council members on Tuesday discussed the direction they’d like to see for fiscal year 2015.

Several members said they’d like to see no or only a small increase in the property tax, which is the primary funding for the city and school budgets.

“Taxes have gone up at a rate that folks don’t have the ability to keep up with,” said Councilor Marc Lessard.

Despite that, said City Manager John Bubier, “It’s going to be another difficult year.” Especially, he said, if the city loses additional funding from the state.

In the current budget, the city lost a substantial amount of revenue sharing from the state. And it could lose another $700,000 or more for the budget cycle that will begin June 30.

However, a bill is being proposed in the state legislature, and being discussed today in a work session in the legislature’s appropriations and financial affairs committee, that would retain the current level of state revenue sharing for Maine’s municipalities.

Council President John McCurry said he favors no increase in the tax rate, but did want some increases in certain line items.

“I’d like to see the paving budget back without raising taxes, so we have to look at everything,” he said.

In recent years, in an effort to blunt the effect of increases to the tax rate, the paving budget has been slashed.

Councilor Clement Fleurent suggested using part of the excise tax for the paving budget.

Councilor Robert Quattrone, who is serving his first term on the council, put forth several suggestions he thought could save the city money, such as creating incentives for departments to work more efficiently, making a biennial budget and looking at employee union contracts.

Councilor Bob Mills brought up a suggestion he has made in the past as a way to save money: Instituting a four-day workweek for city staff.

Councilor Michael Ready said he didn’t think the council should take a stand on what figure the budget should be before listening to department heads.

“Every year needs change,” he said.

Department heads must have the opportunity to discuss their needs before the council, acting as the budget committee, before any decisions are made, said Ready.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].