OLD ORCHARD BEACH – The Town Council is hoping to keep tax increases on the municipal side to a minimum next year as it prepares to begin the budget making process.

By charter, the council is required to provide guidance to the town manager on a desired municipal budget number at least six months before the municipal budget is approved. The municipal fiscal year 2017 budget, by charter, must be approved by July 1.

“On the town side, certainly my goal is to keep (the increase) under 3 percent,” said Town Manager Larry Mead at Tuesday night’s council meeting. This does not include the school budget, which will be proposed by the school board and voted on by residents at a June referendum.

Town Council Chairman Shawn O’Neil said at Tuesday’s meeting he would also like to see a less than 3 percent increase on the municipal budget.

Councilor Michael Tousignant said it’s difficult to know how the school budget was going to impact taxes, as the vote is a few weeks before the town’s deadline to vote on the municipal budget.

Tousignant said he, like Mead and other members of the council, would like to keep the tax increase to a minimum. However, he was concerned that keeping increases to a minimum would not allow funding for necessary projects for upkeep to town infrastructure.

Mead said if there were any large projects he’d bring them to the council’s attention and it could determine if the town could pay for them.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].