NEXT ON THE AGENDA: TOWN MEETINGSFile photoThat old-time tradition
The venerable town meeting faces modern challenges, some to its very existence. But Mainers cling to this staple of local control. What is happening at your town meetings? You can share the news at My.MaineToday.com Post a story about the meeting or your opinions about it Do you have photos? You can post pictures too When is your town meeting? Post it to the event calendar. 2007 Town Meetings

WOOLWICH: Fire vehicle OK'd, up to $285,000
Voters approved the purchase of new pumper-tanker truck for the Fire Department at their annual town meeting Wednesday. (05/13/07)

PHIPPSBURG: Fee for ambulance calls turned down
Voters at town meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings rejected a proposal to allow the town to charge a fee for ambulance services and approved a spending package that probably will slightly increase the property tax rate. (05/13/07)

NORTH YARMOUTH: Graham, Wood win selectmen's race
Residents said hello to new town officials and farewell to another at Saturday's town meeting at Wescustogo Hall. (05/13/07)

LONG ISLAND: Plan to lease land for housing OK'd
Two elections and controversial issues about affordable housing and subsidies for parochial school students drew 127 people to Saturday's seven-hour town meeting. (05/13/07)

GRAY: Voters reject funds for downtown
Residents rejected hundreds of thousands of dollars in municipal spending recommended by the Town Council Saturday to a lightly attended town meeting. (05/06/07)

BOOTHBAY HARBOR: Two selectmen defeated, two quit
Two members of the Board of Selectmen were defeated in their re-election bids, and another two resigned from the five-member board following Saturday's town meeting, according to Town Clerk Patricia Wheeler. (05/06/07)

Town Meetings
Wells voters approve impact fees for developers (04/29/07)

Waterboro vote rejects a charter commission
esidents want to keep their 'small-town system of government,' says Selectman Jon Gale. (04/22/07)

Town Meetings
OGUNQUIT: Voters support ban on new hotel rooms ISLE AU HAUT: Islanders pick plan for refurbished dock SOUTH THOMASTON: Junior firefighters, selectman voted in(04/08/07)

WARREN: Cap on retail lots defeated by voters
Warren voters turned down proposals at Tuesday's town meeting to cap business growth and purchase a new public works vehicle priced at $75,000. (04/01/07)

UNITY: Spending plan sails through
Voters on Saturday approved a $672,000 spending plan, up $88,000 from last year. (04/01/07)

SOMERVILLE: Club to get funds to maintain trails
Residents at the town meeting Saturday voted 13-8 to appropriate funds received from the state for snowmobile registrations to the Backwoods Bouncers Club to maintain trails. (04/01/07)

PHILLIPS: Ex-town manager Toothaker honored
Residents at Saturday's annual town meeting honored a former town manager who had held that post for more than 35 years before retiring last year, and who was a selectwoman before that. (04/01/07)

NEWCASTLE: New town office plan turned down
Residents rejected a bid at Monday's town meeting to build a new town office, sending the project back to the drawing board and requesting additional information before it will be taken up again. (04/01/07)

JEFFERSON: Revaluation fund to get $57,000
Voters approved 43 articles and elected new town officials at Jefferson's annual town meeting Tuesday. (04/01/07)

FREEDOM: Agent to be hired to assess property
This small town 18 miles west of Belfast now has an assessor's agent to help determine the value of property. (04/01/07)

FARMINGDALE: Voters juggle funds to repair old fence
Voters at the town meeting Saturday set priorities and did some fancy juggling of funds. (04/01/07)

WEST FORKS: Tax bills up, down due to revaluation
The town will raise about $10,000 less from taxation this year than last year, but not all residents will see their tax bills decline. (03/25/07)

TROY: Town won't allow cell-phone towers
For the next six months, at least, this country town will remain free of cell phone towers. (03/25/07)

NOBLEBORO: Town OKs funds to help academy
Nobleboro's annual town meeting got off to a bit of a rough start when a powerful winter storm knocked out power to the Nobleboro Central School last week (March 17). (03/25/07)

MOSCOW: Funding for meals, scholarships OK'd
About 35 town meeting voters Monday night continued to support their children with scholarships and free meals to the tune of at least $32,000. (03/25/07)

MOOSE RIVER: Three re-elected, with better pay
All three incumbent selectmen were returned to office unopposed Friday night in annual town meeting voting, and they'll be paid better for it. (03/25/07)

JACKMAN: Sale of town land will be revisited
Voters decided Thursday night they want to postpone the matter of selling town-owned land for commercial development. (03/25/07)

FRIENDSHIP: Residents approve $679,475 budget
It took just 45 minutes for voters to dispense with a long list of warrant articles at Friendship's annual town meeting earlier this week. (03/25/07)

DETROIT: Voters opt to make posts appointive
Heeding advice from the Board of Selectmen, voters agreed to make the positions of town clerk, property and excise tax collector appointive during Saturday's annual town meeting. (03/25/07)

CUSHING: Selectman runoff to be held April 2
Residents gave permission for the Cushing Rescue Squad to begin charging for services, said no to hiring a police officer assigned to speed enforcement, and split evenly in a race for the Board of Selectmen at the town's annual election and town meeting held earlier this week. (03/25/07)

CORNISH: Selectman elected; tax rate raised
Voters elected a new selectman and adopted a municipal budget that will increase the property tax rate about 30 cents Monday at their annual town meeting. (03/25/07)

BRISTOL: Town to get advice on acquiring light
Voters wrestled with the issue of whether the town should seek ownership of a landmark lighthouse and they elected two Planning Board members at their annual election and town meeting held earlier this week (03/25/07)

BRIGHTON PLANTATION: Voters approve $8,500 for office
The 14 voters who showed up for town meeting voted unanimously in favor of putting $8,500 toward finish work on the new Town Office. (03/25/07)

ALNA: All articles pass, including tax hike
There were no empty seats Saturday at the Alna Fire House, where about 100 residents gathered for the annual town meeting. (03/25/07)

ALBION: Voters interested in old bank building
Town meeting voters on Saturday told selectmen they want the town to explore the possibility of acquiring an empty building that once housed a Board of Trust bank outlet. (03/25/07)

Sidney: $1.2 million budget approved
Residents considered postponing the town meeting out of concern that Saturday's sloppy weather might have kept some townspeople away. (03/18/07)

Highland: Voters override limit on budget
Residents who attended the annual town meeting Saturday agreed to override the property-tax limit by $15,0871. (03/18/07)

Harmony: Officials to get $1,000 raises
The 41 people who braved the elements to attend Saturday's annual town meeting were in a generous mood. (03/18/07)

Carrabassett: Town will borrow for outdoor center
The Sugarloaf Outdoor Center will undergo a $1.35 million makeover bankrolled mostly by town taxpayers, despite uncertainty about who will oversee its operations if Sugarloaf/USA is sold. (03/18/07)

Canaan: Town will buy lot next to firehouse station
Taxes will increase roughly $1 per $1,000 in valuation because of voters' decisions Saturday at the town meeting and rising county taxes, Selectman John Graf said. (03/18/07)

Burnham: Library's request for funds rejected
It took less than two hours for 15 residents to breeze through the town warrant, approving nearly all recommended expenditures and ordinance changes during the annual town meeting Saturday. (03/18/07)

Belgrade: Transfer station will get upgrade
Voters at Saturday's town meeting allocated $82,700 to improve the transfer station. (03/18/07)

Avon: Voters opt to sell old schoolhouse
Road Commissioner Rupert Potter came to the town meeting Saturday after a morning of plowing roads. (03/18/07)

VIENNA: Vote clears way to more spending
Residents began their annual town meeting by voting to increase the property tax levy limit by $48,000. (03/11/07)

Pleasant Ridge Plantation: Cemetery roads to stay unpaved
In a close decision at the annual town meeting Saturday, residents rejected 13-10 a proposal to pave cemetery roads, according to Town Clerk Marilyn Smith. (03/11/07)

STARKS: Fire department gets compromise
The Fire Department got most of what it wanted during Saturday's annual town meeting. (03/11/07)

SOUTHPORT: Voters turn down dispatch renewal
About 65 voters approved an estimated $700,000 municipal budget and an $830,000 school budget at the town meeting on Monday. (03/11/07)

ROME: Voters take step to join SAD 47
Residents wondered Saturday why their tax dollars should support a community health center in neighboring Belgrade Lakes, but they eventually approved the funding. (03/11/07)

POWNAL: Bond approved for roads in 'disarray'
About 115 residents at Saturday's town meeting approved a $1.18 million bond to repair and rebuild roads. (03/11/07)

PALMYRA: Plan to rebuild dirt roads passes
Voters at Saturday's town meeting agreed to fix the town's roads but still managed to shave $78,000 from the proposed overall municipal budget. (03/11/07)

NORTH HAVEN: Approved budget includes clinic
About 75 people at the town meeting Saturday approved an estimated $1.5 million municipal budget, which includes the establishment of a town-run medical clinic. (03/11/07)

NEW VINEYARD: Surplus funds hold line on taxes
Voters agreed to take $10,000 from last year's surplus funds instead of asking taxpayers to pay more for next year's $258,132 municipal operating costs. (03/11/07)

LIMERICK: Funds to complete town's revaluation
About 100 residents approved an estimated $971,000 municipal budget at Saturday's town meeting. (03/11/07)

INDUSTRY: Roads plan to get $100,000 in '07 start roads plan
The condition of Industry's gravel roads has been so poor that townspeople voted overwhelmingly Saturday to spend $100,000 to start a five-year plan to rebuild them. (03/11/07)

HARPSWELL: Voters want town to leave SAD 75
Voters approved an estimated $4 million municipal budget Saturday at the annual town meeting. (03/11/07)

BOWDOIN: Residents say no to five selectmen
About 133 residents defeated a proposal to expand the Board of Selectman from three members to five Saturday at the town meeting. (03/11/07)

BENTON: Job of town clerk no longer elective
Voters decided Saturday, 26-14, that the town clerk's job should be an appointive position, not an elective one, which it has been for years. (03/11/07)

BALDWIN: Voters OK limits for sex offenders
About 80 residents at Saturday's town meeting approved an ordinance that will prohibit registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools, day- care centers and playgrounds. (03/11/07)

ATHENS: Voters approve smaller budget
The Board of Selectmen remained unchanged after municipal elections held Friday. (03/11/07)

ALFRED: Bid to increase selectmen fails
A plan to expand the Board of Selectmen from three members to five narrowly failed, 81-75, during a secret vote at Saturday's town meeting, Alfred Town Clerk Andy Bors said. (03/11/07)

PALERMO: Spending limit cuts taxes a little
(03/11/07)

Strong: Declining state aid forces spending up
An expected drop in state revenue forced voters at Saturday's annual town meeting to increase tax appropriations 20 percent to run the town in 2007. (03/04/07)

St. Albans: Voters opt to boost roads, slash dams, ambulance funds
Voters at Saturday's town meeting slashed funding for the ambulance service and dam repair and gave a big boost to road projects. (03/04/07)

Solon: Voters OK $95,000 salt-and-sand shed, reject excavator
Despite opposition, voters approved building a $95,000 salt-and-sand shed Saturday afternoon as part of a $300,000 municipal spending plan at the annual town meeting. (03/04/07)

Ripley: Voters use surplus to lower tax rate
Voters were in an approving mood Saturday, moving through 32 warrant articles without rejecting any during the course of a two-hour meeting. (03/04/07)

New Sharon: Residents replace road commissioner
Voters at Saturday's town meeting chose to replace road commissioner Kevin Brann after 18 years of service. (03/04/07)

New Portland: Voters choose bid by current plower
Opting for the higher of two plowing contracts and approving other additional expenses, residents agreed to override the state limit on growth in spending at Saturday's town meeting. (03/04/07)

Newport: Cultural center gets voters' OK
Voters at Saturday's town meeting approved funding to run a new cultural center as part of a municipal budget of slightly more than $2.15 million. (03/04/07)

Limington: Voter turnout small, but job gets done
About 50 Limington residents pass all requests except one for an emergency vehicle. (03/04/07)

Kingfield: Administrative assistant to be sought
Voters gave selectmen permission to begin the search for an administrative assistant during Saturday's annual town meeting and approved $6,500 to fund the effort. (03/04/07)

Hartland: Town agrees to new firetruck, swimming pool
Voters gave the go-ahead for a new children's swimming pool and OK'd borrowing $134,000 to buy a new firetruck during two town meetings Saturday. (03/04/07)

Éustis: Snowmobile club will get $7,500
It took two tries, but one of the state's largest snowmobile clubs finally got the support it needed from its hometown. (03/04/07)

Embden: New election OK'd for road commissioner
Town officials plan to schedule a new election for road commissioner now that some residents have successfully contested Mike Witham's apparent one-vote victory in Friday voting. (03/04/07)

Cornville: Fire department to get town garage as a second station
Voters opted to give the volunteer fire department the unused town garage in a town meeting that lasted a little less than an hour Saturday morning. (03/04/07)

Cambridge: Voters increase spending for salt, fire department
Residents voted to add $7,000 to the municipal budget, for a $112,484 total, during Saturday's annual town meeting. (03/04/07)

Anson: Town to negotiate for Irving building
Voters on Saturday authorized selectmen to continue to negotiate to buy a former gasoline station to use as storage space for the town's Fire Department and approved a municipal budget of about $1.5 million (03/04/07)

Harpswell town meeting to keep participants busy
Improving cell phone coverage, a land-use plan and 65 articles are on the agenda for next Saturday. (03/03/07)

That old-time tradition
The venerable town meeting faces modern challenges, some to its very existence. But Mainers cling to this staple of local control. (02/25/07)

Not your colonists' meetings anymore
This year, some towns' residents will vote on issues of sex offenders and medical marijuana. (02/25/07)