In several months of crunching numbers and pushing calculator buttons, Boothbay Town Manager Jim Chaousis has predicted the tax rate will remain unchanged at $8.40 per $1,000 of valuation.

Although it's too early to predict any real increases in county taxes and school subsidies, Boothbay's town budget is looking pretty solid based on last year's revenue streams and tax commitments.

According to the budget data, the tax commitments and revenues have not changed significantly from last year. Although the budget projection is based on some assumptions, Chaousis said the town could maintain the current tax rate, even if municipal revenue sharing was taken away this year.

“So no matter what, I predict we will maintain the (tax rate) that we have had this last year. That was the intent all along,” Chaousis said.

“That's what we wanted to hear,” Selectman Steve Lewis said.

The board of selectmen will have the month of March to comb through the budget one last time before it officially gets placed on the town warrant.