Preston — The Board of Selectmen defended its proposed $3.6 million 2018-19 budget to the Board of Finance on Wednesday, pointing out that nearly all of the 6 percent, $213,577 increase would cover three items in the budget, while the rest of the budget shows only a 0.45 percent increase.

First Selectman Robert Congdon said nearly all the increase, $198,304, is for three items. Reinstating the second resident state trooper would add $160,869 to police costs; $24,000 for two weekend per diem ambulance crew members, for which the town would receive $20,000 reimbursement in ambulance fees; and a $13,400 increase in the Preston Redevelopment Agency budget to hire a clerk of the works to oversee the final environmental cleanup of the former Norwich Hospital property.

Without those three increases, the rest of the town government budget would increase by only $15,272, a 0.45 percent increase.

The second resident state trooper was a contentious issue throughout last spring’s budget session, and the Board of Finance cut the budget to one trooper, despite public comments by residents in support of two troopers. In fall, the town received a petition forcing a town meeting to restore the second trooper. The issue again went back and forth with finance board objections until the $47,000 needed for the position for the final four months of the year was approved in a Feb. 6 referendum.

Finance board members Wednesday balked at the total cost of $370,830 for two resident troopers for the entire fiscal year. Finance board member Keith Wucik said the town should again consider contracting with either Norwich or Ledyard for police coverage, and Congdon said he already has renewed discussions with Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn and has contacted Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom.

Both Norwich and Ledyard provided proposals to Preston for police coverage, but the town Emergency Services Advisory Committee, which reviewed the proposals, recommended keeping the current resident trooper program.

“We can get a lot more than 80 hours a week for that amount,” said finance board member Gerald Grabarek, who said he would be willing to cut the budget to one trooper.

Finance board Chairman Melissa Lennon recommended keeping the two troopers in the budget “at least until the public hearing.” Lennon said it was well publicized that the Feb. 6 referendum was meant to be a gauge on whether the town supported two troopers in the coming year’s budget, as well as for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Board of Finance member Stacey Becker also questioned the town government’s recent history of returning to the town large amounts of unspent money from the budget. Becker said she reviewed audits for the past four years, with amounts returned to the town in some years exceeding $200,000 or $300,000.

Congdon said many varied and unpredictable factors have played into those underspent budgets. For example, last year the Public Works Department returned $90,000 based mainly on the weather. A mild winter reduced snow budget costs, and a very wet spring meant the town could not chip-seal as many miles of roads as planned before the June 30 end of the fiscal year.

Congdon cautioned that the town government does not expect to return a large amount of money this year, because of the winter storms and the loss of state revenue in budget adjustments.

c.bessette@theday.com