Boothbay Town Manager Dan Bryer submitted a  $2,021,828 municipal budget last week  for 2017. The proposal  represents a 1.17 percent increase or  $22,720 in additional spending. The selectmen briefly reviewed the proposal during their Feb. 8 board meeting.

Among the proposed budget changes are a $2 per hour pay increase for volunteer firefighters and the town paying for Bryer’s health insurance. Fire Chief Dick Spofford sent selectmen a letter requesting the first pay increase for his department in at least three years, according to Bryer. Selectmen support  an hourly wage boost for volunteer firefighters. In his letter, Spofford requested they get $13.30 per hour.

“For what they do $13.30 isn’t a lot of money,” said Selectman Steve Lewis. “But $2 per hour is quite a raise. I think we should be looking at a cost of living increase each year and staying away from big jumps in the future.”

The selectmen also discussed increasing the chief’s pay. Spofford receives a $12,000 per year stipend. He didn’t request a raise, but town officials think he is underpaid. Selectmen are concerned the current stipend wouldn’t attract a qualified applicant if Spofford retired in the near future.

“Dickie does a heckuva job for us. We probably have the best volunteer fire department in coastal Maine.  Just look at a structure fire or motor vehicle accident and see all the turnout we have,” Lewis said.  “We’re very fortunate to have him as our chief.”

The other selectmen agreed. The board directed Bryer to compare Spofford’s compensation to other similar-sized municipal fire departments. Bryer will forward those figures from six to eight local fire departments by email to selectmen next week.

Bryer also informed selectmen he will accept the town’s employee health insurance coverage next year. He is retiring from the military in March 2018 and won’t be eligible for the federal coverage. So the town will assume his coverage for the last few months of fiscal year 2018.

In other action, the selectmen requested all outside agencies asking for more money in 2017 attend the next board meeting. The board is likely to approve agency requests it funded last year requesting the same contribution, according to Chairman Dale Harmon. Other agencies requesting more funding or that weren’t funded in 2016 are being asked to attend the next meeting.  The board wants to meet with five agencies regarding their requests.

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce is one of the agencies. Last year, the town approved the Chamber’s $5,000 request for the annual fireworks display. The Chamber also requested $5,000 from Boothbay Harbor which hosted the event. But Boothbay Harbor voters only approved $3,000 last year to the fireworks  fund.

“Why should we contribute more than the host town,” Lewis said. Bryer explained the Chamber requested $5,000 from Boothbay Harbor, but the amount was reduced during the May town meeting. Selectmen also want more information from Boothbay Region Community Television, Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, Boothbay Region Community Resource Council, and Life Flight of Maine.

The selectmen heard from one non-profit group it didn’t fund in 2016. Spectrum Generations of Damariscotta is requesting $500 as it did last year. Harmon explained the agency didn’t receive the board’s support last year because the board viewed the agency as providing duplicate services to those provided by other Boothbay region agencies.

The board will meet next at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22 in the municipal building.