DANBY - When primary elections roll around on Aug. 28, Danby voters will decide whether or not they want to approve the latest budget of $1,149,134 being proposed by the town.

The latest budget represents a $74,651 increase over the original $1,074,483 budget which was defeated by a vote of 192 to 189 in March and a $121,841 increase over the $1,027,293 budget that was defeated overwhelmingly in May by a 294 to 174 margin.

Although the budget is increasing, Chairman of the Danby Select Board, Chip Wright, said that the town is expecting a surplus somewhere between $225,000 and $250,000, which would be applied to reduce taxes this year.

"[When] we apply the surplus that leaves you [with] a new net to be less, which means the tax rate is going to go down considerably this year compared to the last several years," said Wright.

While firm numbers could not be provided as of press time, Wright said the municipal tax rate would be lowered to about .30 cents per hundred dollars of assessed property value - a figure that would represent a significant decrease over last year's tax rate of .45 cents per hundred.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Wright said there is some concern that this latest budget may not pass.

"There's obviously the chance that people will see the expense number and say 'that's it' without looking into the fine print," said Wright. "But we kind of feel like we've had enough feedback to feel ... that this will pass. The counter on this

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is that the tax rate on this is going to be considerably lower than it was last year."

To inform voters of what the board has done and the reasons behind the new budget, Wright said they plan to send a letter out sometime within the next couple of weeks before absentee ballots are mailed.

Wright also said there is $175,000 available in this year's budget for road maintenance. Such maintenance was not performed last year due to Tropical Storm Irene and Wright said that the board decided that road treatment should be done this year before they deteriorate further and become more expensive for the town to repair.

There are two areas the town is considering repairing. One is on Tinmouth Road beginning at the Douglas White Farm to the Tinmouth town line - a 1.8 mile stretch. The other being considered is a one-mile stretch on Danby-Pawlet Road beginning at Sargent Hill to the Pawlet town line, according to town documents.

Voting on the municipal budget as well as the Danby School Budget - which was expected to voted on by the board for possible approval at a meeting on Wednesday evening after press time - will be held on Aug. 28 at Danby Four Corners at the Town Hall from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A special Town Meeting will be held at Danby Four Corners at the Town Hall on Aug. 27 beginning at 7:30 p.m.