Ledyard — With the Finance Committee finishing up budget presentations from each town department on Monday, the Town Council is expected to set April 17 as a date for a public hearing on the budget when it meets Wednesday.

"I think, for the most part, everyone that came in and presented followed what we had asked for, which was a flat budget," Finance Committee Chairman Fred Allyn III said after a presentation on the town's health care budgeting.

The budget proposed by Mayor Michael Finkelstein includes $55.2 million in spending; a 2.54 percent spending increase between both the town government and board of education.

The Board of Education's budget will grow by 1.25 percent.

The town's $23,929,012 general government budget will increase by 4.27 percent due to several costs out of the town's control, Finkelstein said, including an anticipated reduction in state aid as well as increased debt service.

The budget aims to "save our taxpayers from having drastic increases but at the same time provide them with services that they expect," Finkelstein said.

As proposed, the budget would raise the tax rate by 0.75 mills.

The budget includes a $351,307 increase in the town's contribution to its capital non-recurring fund, in order to offset an even larger cut in state funding.

Traditionally that entire grant, in addition to several other state funds, has been applied toward road maintenance, meaning the taxpayer has paid very little toward road repair, said Finance Director Marcia Hancock.

The budget includes all of the state aid reductions, but excludes the governor's proposal to require towns to contribute toward teacher retirements.

The town is starting to pay down debt from the new police station, Hancock said, adding $176,250 to the town's debt load. That debt will be part of the town's budget for the next 20 years.

The town has not seen the impact of projects to renovate Gallup Hill and Ledyard Middle School yet, she noted.

Salary increases are also projected in several anticipated union contracts, and the town's share of a defined contribution retirement plan will grow as well.

The mayor's budget also includes a request from the Ledyard Police Department to add an additional officer, as well as a $34,000 increase in the overtime budget after two officer injuries promoted an unexpected jump in overtime costs.

Finkelstein noted that the police department had as many as 23 officers in the past but now has only 20. This budget, he said, is "looking to bridge that gap a little bit."

Several reductions were also made by hiring new employees after some higher-paid town hall staff retired or changed jobs.

Last year the general government budget rose a little more than 1 percent.

The council's Finance Committee plans to make its budget recommendation during its meeting on Wednesday, April 5.

A Town Meeting on the budget is expected to be held May 15.

n.lynch@theday.com