BUCKFIELD — At an April 27 budget meeting, selectmen voted to recommend taking on $1 million in debt to finance the construction of a new fire/rescue station for the town as part of a projected $3.01 million 2014 municipal budget.

The selectmen recommend using reserve funds to pay down next year’s debt payment, allowing the town to trim its municipal budget by $50,000, according to Town Manager Dana Lee, on Tuesday. He described the April 27 meeting as cordial and productive.

Lee noted that the town would be shedding other debt, primarily from Mid-Maine Waste Action Corporation and the Brown Bridge project, within a few years, allowing it to responsibly manage the fire station loan.

Selectmen also approved Lee’s adjusted budget, which trims spending on summer roads, Buckfield Rescue, the municipal center and public works complex.

Buckfield Rescue requested an increased budget in order to move one part-time employee to full-time and fund a $2 per-hour on-call wage for rescue volunteers, Lee said.

Rescue Chief Lisa Buck has warned that the department is straining to fill weekend rescue shifts and, without the incentive of an on-call wage, might not have the personnel to respond to all emergencies in town.

The selectmen’s recommended budget leaves funding for summer road maintenance at $222,685, down from almost $352,000 last year.

Lee hoped taxpayers might return the $50,000 in savings back to the budget at town meeting, noting that the town’s road network is in dire need of repair and the rescue department was struggling to fill shifts.

The selectmen’s recommended municipal budget is $1.45 million. With the addition of payments to the RSU 10 school district and Oxford County government, it is projected to be about $3.01 million overall.

If the projections are correct, the town could reduce its tax commitment by $14,000 next year if the budget wasn’t increased, Lee said.

Voters will decide a budget at annual town meeting, held June 15.