LISBON — Cutting back on the number of hours the library is open, eliminating one or two days that the transfer station is open and cutting reserve police officers are among the cutback being considered by town officials.

Officials are attempting to cut back a budget that featured a more than 11% increase, in large part because of an accounting error of $1.3 million that has left the town in a hole.

The town council held a workshop prior to Tuesday’s meeting where no residents spoke and which lasted less than 90 minutes. The board wrestled with potential budget cuts suggested by department heads, liking some and rejecting others.

No votes were taken Tuesday. Councilors discussed priorities and gave Town Manager Glenn Michalowski some ideas on which areas they felt could be cut.

Everyone acknowledged that the changes would affect town services and residents.

“No matter what we do, it’s going to impact someone,” Chairman Fern Larochelle said. “There’s no way to fix this without causing some misery down the line.”

Councilor Jeremy Barnard said officials should only consider increasing revenues.

“I’m still a no on all these (cuts),” Barnard said. “It’s been stated multiple times that we can’t cut our way out of this. These cuts being proposed are going to set us on our heels and make it harder for us to move forward in a positive direction. I don’t like any of the cuts.”

Michalowski presented the board with $282,270 worth of proposed cuts suggested by the department heads. The biggest cut was suggested by Mark Stevens of the Recreation Department at $71,940. Cuts would include four full-time summer day camp counselors, the summer track and field program and deep cuts in the number of children enrolled in the summer day camp and the after school program

The summer day camp currently has 300 children, Stevens said.

The board was quick to reject those cuts, saying revenues would be severely impacted by cutting the number of children and families involved in those activities.

Police Chief Ryan McGee said eliminating his reserve officers would not affect overtime, saying he is suggesting cutting two reserve shifts per week. The cuts would only have minimal impact on services, McGee said.

Much discussion centered on the transfer station, which is currently open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. One proposal being considered would change the days of operation to Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Commercial haulers pay $3,000 annually for a permit, but some bring $1,000 of trash to the station each week. Some felt the taxpayers were subsidizing the haulers. Plus, not every resident who utilizes a commercial hauler pays for a dump pass. According to records, fewer than 3,000 dump passes were sold last year.

Councilors also wondered why fees are not charged for items such as oil and antifreeze. Norm Albert and Nicholas Craig pushed for the board to consider making some policy changes in order to produce more revenue.

The council appeared split on whether to cut days of operation from four to three, which they said will likely create lines.

“I use it, too,” Craig said. “I don’t want to wait in line an hour to dump my trash, but these are the type of things we are being directed to look at.”

The proposal for the library would close the facility on Mondays and Tuesdays. The rest of the week it would be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., increasing hours on a couple of those days. The library also would not fill one of its vacancies.

Saying he was thinking outside the box, Albert wondered if the town should consider moving the library from its longtime Main Street home into space at the former Marion T. Morse School, located on School Street. The library could forgo spending $85,000 to fix and waterproof the floor on the ground level of its Main Street building, and the town could sell the property to a developer.

The library has been at its Main Street home for more than 120 years.

Michalowski said he would take all the ideas under advisement and rework the budget for a final proposal later this month.

The council has heard an earful from residents the past few weeks from residents, some whom have been in their homes for more than 30 years, saying they may not be able to remain in their homes if taxes significantly increase.