CHESTERVILLE — Voters rejected changing the town meeting day and election day during Monday’s town meeting, Town Clerk Heather Wheeler said.
The proposal was to change the day beginning in 2016 to a Saturday, instead of a Monday, and to hold elections the preceding Thursday.
This year, the town elected selectmen March 9 and held the town meeting two weeks later.
Some people, who attended town meetings when they were on a Saturday, told the crowd attendance had dropped off, Wheeler said.
Ninety-three residents attended Monday’s meeting that lasted 3½ hours, she said. Moderator James Grippe conducted the meeting.
Voters approved increasing the property tax levy limit of $500,498 by a 54-37 vote, she said.
Residents had been looking at increasing it by $56,093.26. Voters looked for ways to cut back on the proposed increase and made $24,000 in cuts, Wheeler said.
Of those reductions, $19,000 was trimmed from the proposed $287,826 public works budget to make it $268,826. Another $5,000 was cut from the 3 percent discount on real estate taxes paid within 30 days from the date of the tax bill, she said. The reduction brought the amount available for discounts to $25,000.
Voters nixed having the municipal officers create job descriptions for all town employees before the next fiscal year and that were to be accepted at the next annual town meeting.
The town already has job descriptions, Wheeler said.
The article was submitted by citizens’ petition.
Residents approved creating a Highway Committee that would include at least five members and possibly two alternates. The idea behind the citizens’ initiative is to try to find the most cost-effective way of plowing and maintaining roads, to determine legal boundaries of all town roads, and any other aspect of town roads that would benefit the town.
Highway Foreman Patrick McHugh supported forming a committee, Wheeler said.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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