FARMINGTON — By a vote of 130-125 Gloria McGraw was elected Monday to a three-year term on the Regional School Unit 9 board of directors over Brandon Reed, a University of Maine Farmington freshman.

In uncontested races, Matthew Smith was reelected to another three-year term on the Board of Selectmen with 216 votes and incumbent J. Wayne Kinney received 225 votes for a two-year term on the Regional School Unit 9 board of directors.

Turnout was light with only 130 voters, counting those who submitted absentee ballots, a little after 1:30 p.m., Deputy Town Clerk Bonnie Baker said.

Voters passed all articles on the warrant, including one urging federal elected officials to enact national cash-back carbon pricing. The tally was 201-75.

At the March 22 Chesterville Town Meeting, a similar carbon pricing article found 16 in support and 26 opposed.

The grassroots effort to add the Carbon Cash Back resolution on town meeting warrants, a move supported by the national nonprofit Citizens’ Climate Lobby, has taken off throughout Franklin County.

By a vote of 227-45, a resolution requesting Franklin County commissioners to reverse its policy on not funding economic development and social service agencies was adopted.

All articles pertaining to the 2021 $6.85 million budget also passed handily. The budget is up 12.1%, primarily because of workers’ compensation increases.

“While this budget is up, it gives me a great deal of comfort to say there is absolutely no reason for it to result in a tax increase this year,” Town Manager Richard Davis said during an April 13 meeting on the referendum.

“Despite the pandemic, the town’s revenues remain strong. We added more than $600,000 to the unassigned fund balance, which now stands at more than $3 million.”

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