LEE - Residents have the opportunity Saturday to discuss increasing the town budget by 1.8 percent and a petition to define race car education at the Lee USA Speedway.

The town's deliberative session is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Mast Way School at 23 Mast Road. Residents will vote March 12 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Public Safety Complex on George Bennett Road.

If approved, Article 4 would appropriate $3,522,365 as the operating budget. It is $64,872 - or 1.8 percent - larger than last year's budget of $3,457,493. If rejected, a default budget of $3,495,183 would be enacted and the town could hold a special meeting to discuss a revised budget.

Article 3 petitions residents to amend the existing Racetrack Ordinance by defining "race car education" as a fully licensed and insured school. It will operate no more than four times a month between April and October and only allow up to four NASCAR-like stock cars on the track at one time between noon and 6 p.m., if approved.

Among the five other articles, residents will consider adding $387,000 - including $135,000 from the surplus - to existing capital reserve funds, appropriating $80,000 to build a field at Little River Park and purchasing a new police cruiser for $27,964.