AVON — Voters at town meeting Saturday approved a modest increase in their overall budget for 2018.
The town’s 30-year veteran moderator, Richard Caton Jr., has retired, so Selectman Jerry Gilchrist led voters through 65 articles Saturday morning. The adopted $241,045 budget was about 5 percent over last year’s total, according to First Selectman Greta Espeaignnette.
She said 61 of the 65 articles were approved as requested.
“Those not approved were (requests from) Safe Voices, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services, Maine Public Broadcasting Network and American Red Cross,” she said
Appropriations included $3,102 from the public service account for Wallie Ballpark and playground improvements. Road work always requires a significant portion of the overall municipal expenditures, Espeaignnette said. Besides any carry-over and undesignated funds, voters approved applying $20,000 in excise taxes to the Summer Roads account and $55,000 to the Winter Roads account. Voters also approved taking $35,000 from undesignated funds to the Summer Roads account for a bridge replacement.
Voters re-elected a slate of officials, including Third Selectman Barry Thorndike, Road Commissioner Jerry Haines, Town Clerk/Tax Collector/Registrar Mary Dunham, Constable Bruce Dunham, school board Director Paul Gardiner and Treasurer/Deputy Tax Collector Maureen Haley.
Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, presented a legislative sentiment to Jerry Haines for his late wife Janne’s service to the town.
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