Preston — Town officials Wednesday set the projected amounts for hiring a second resident state trooper for the rest of the current fiscal year and for a proposed five-year capital expenditure package, both of which will be put to voters at an upcoming town meeting and referendum.

The boards of Finance and Selectmen met for an hour Wednesday with bond counsel Mark Chapman prior to finalizing the total for the capital projects, attempting to calculate the best bonding methods to minimize interest and bonding impacts to taxpayers.

The boards set the cost of a second resident state trooper not to exceed $47,000 starting the second week in February for the remainder of this fiscal year, and the total for the capital projects including bonding costs at $3.56 million. Residents will discuss both issues at a 7:30 p.m. town meeting Jan. 25 and will vote on the two items at a Feb. 6 referendum.

The resident trooper would not need a referendum, but First Selectman Robert Congdon recommended adding it to the Feb. 6 referendum, which likely would draw more voters, and to give selectmen a better idea whether to include two resident troopers in the 2018-19 town budget.

The capital package includes purchasing 11 school buses and three smaller student transportation vehicles, five public works vehicles and two firetrucks and an emergency response vehicle. Improvements to both town schools and the purchase of firefighter breathing apparatus also are included. The total projected cost of the capital package is $3.477 million, not including bonding and interest costs.

The two boards agreed Wednesday that it would be best for the town to bond the entire total, rather than resort to short-term borrowing in the early years, which would cost some $400,000 more over the 15-year period.

But finance board officials asked Chapman to separate the school transportation vehicles from the other capital items, and pay for the buses in a 10-year bond, rather than a 15-year bond, since the use expectancy is about 10 years for the buses. Public works vehicles and firetrucks typically last much longer than 10 years, town officials said.

c.bessette@theday.com