SABATTUS — A new $300,000 firetruck, stormwater management costs and $40,000 for fuel depot replacement are among the larger proposed expenditures voters will decide Thursday, May 14.

The annual town meeting will start at 6 p.m. with voters facing two proposed 2016 municipal budgets: one from the Budget Committee that would increase property taxes by about $22 on a $100,000 property and one from selectmen that would increase taxes by slightly more than $40.

One of the biggest differences between the budgets involves a new firetruck.

Town Manager Andrew Gilmore said the town is looking to replace the tanker/pumper fire engine, manufactured in 1980, with a new one at a cost of no more than $300,000. The money has already been raised and is in the town’s capital fund, so the purchase will not increase taxes, Gilmore said. Selectmen are recommending the purchase.

Sabattus Fire Chief Marc Veilleux also supports the purchase, saying it’s critical for getting water to fires in areas without hydrants. “The (current) pumper/tanker is barely passing its annual pump tests and the safety factor with a 35-year-old firetruck is of great concern,” he said. If the purchase is approved, the old tanker will be sold.

The Budget Committee’s proposal lacks the $300,000 purchase because the expenditure has already been budgeted.

Veilleux is also proposing spending $3,000 to staff the fire station five days a week with a qualified person who can drive a fire engine. Because the town’s volunteer firefighters are often miles away, working their regular jobs, Veilleux would like to have a person ready and able to handle the fire calls immediately.

According to Veilleux, the $3,000 would offer the person a per diem stipend, which would be in addition to any per-fire financial reward earned through the department’s points system.

Another significant difference between the two budgets deals with the town’s fuel depot. Selectmen are proposing raising $40,000 for future replacement of the fuel depot. The Budget Committee budget does not include the request.

Both budgets include a $35,000 request from Public Works to hire another full-time truck driver/laborer for the current maintenance team. Gilmore said the position is needed to be compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on large projects. When replacing a culvert, for instance, a required number of attendants are necessary to run the equipment, direct traffic and guide the accuracy of the project, he said.

Approximately $54,000 is on both budgets, Gilmore said, as the result of federally mandated stormwater management work.

Debate is expected on one expenditure: The Emergency Medical Services First Responder Program. Although a part of the town’s budget for years, questions have been raised about its need.

The money — $12,000 in the Budget Committee’s proposal and $14,500 in the selectmen’s —  is used for training and equipment for first responders who can provide lifesaving measures while waiting for ambulance services, which are contracted from Lewiston. The debate is whether there is a need for the program considering the generally fast response from Lewiston.

Budget Committee Chairman Amedeo Lauria, who has had firsthand experience with the prompt response time of emergency services in Lewiston, said he doesn’t favor “duplicating efforts that we already have.” He said he feels the service from Lewiston is sufficient, though he acknowledged he appreciates the opinion of the people in town who want the EMS service.

Veilleux said he values the EMS program, particularly when it comes to time-sensitive medical conditions that may arise in Sabattus such as automobile accidents, a person in cardiac arrest or a person suffering from a diabetic incident.

Gilmore agreed, saying, “If (the program) saves one life, then it is worth it.”

The total Budget Committee proposal for 2015-16 calls for $2.95 million in spending, which is $137,969 more than the 2014-2015 fiscal year, a 4.89 percent increase.

The total proposed by selectmen is $3.01 million, a $193,678 or 6.78 percent increase over the current budget.

The two budgets have other differences. To see them or to view the town meeting warrant, go to www.sabattus.org.