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Blethen Maine News Service Sunday, March 11, 2007

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.

That amount is $60,000 more than was allocated for roads in 2006.

First Selectman Lee Ireland told the more than 70 in the audience that the recommendation for $100,000 as a first-year investment was made by a road advisory committee that included former town road commissioners, residents of the roads in question and local contractors with road construction experience.

Overall, the $367,060 municipal operating budget is about $52,330 more than last year's appropriations. Ireland estimated the tax rate for 2007 would be $14.85 for $1,000 worth of property value, up from $14.30 in 2006.

Elections this year launched staggered terms for the three selectmen. Until now, selectmen served one-year terms.

Also starting this year is the hiring, rather than electing, of the town clerk, the treasurer and the road commissioner. An article placed on the warrant anonymously asking voters to revert to electing those town officials failed.

For a three-year term on the board, Ireland defeated write-in candidate Trudy Nutting, 118-74; a two-year term was won by incumbent Robert Geisser over Winston Nickerson, 121-72; and for a one-year term, Mike Senecal beat Lewis Glidden, 119-71.