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The mayor has asked the town manager to pare down the proposed budget for 2009-10.

The first draft of the budget is $7.6 million, up 9 percent from last year’s approved budget. It includes no tax increase but would raise residents’ water and sewer bills.

“I’m not sure we’ve tightened the budget as much as we could,” Mayor Lenny Williams said after Town Manager Ben Baxley presented the budget proposal on April 20.

Williams said he doesn’t know of any town increasing a budget by 9 percent this year, given the poor state of the economy.

The town needs to correct a deficit in the water and sewer fund. Charging more money for water and sewer will help to accomplish this, Baxley said.

The minimum bill for a single-person household would increase from $19.75 to $20.75 per month. For families the average bill would increase from $51 to $55.75.

The recommendation includes a per-gallon fee instead of a flat price. This is in keeping with how other towns charge residents, Baxley said.

The Board of Aldermen will discuss the budget again May 4.

At the meeting, the board also continued discussing the proposed ban on smoking in town buildings and vehicles.

Coy May, head of the public works department, asked the town to be lenient in a smoking ban.

Police Chief Mike Woznick suggested that if only one town worker were assigned to a certain vehicle that he or she should be allowed to smoke as long as there are no passengers.

The public hearing will be May 4.

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at jamie.kennedy@news-record.com or 449-4610