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By Melanie Creamer Sunday, March 11, 2007

About 65 voters approved an estimated $700,000 municipal budget and an $830,000 school budget at the town meeting on Monday.

Voters decided against continuing their dispatch service with Boothbay Harbor Communications. Fire Chief Gerry Gamage, who is chairman of the Board of Selectman, said the town probably will use Lincoln County's dispatch service.

Residents approved nearly all the budget items. Those include $6,000 to build two replacement floats for the wharf at the town landing, $15,400 for police services and $12,000 for a sweeper for the Public Works Department. Voters also decided to spend $10,000 to repair the main fire station and $15,000 to repair Engine 4, the main pumper.

Gamage said the budget represents a slight decrease from last year's total, which should reduce the tax rate to one of the state's lowest.

"We are doing all right," he said. "We were able to hold the line really well. The county taxes increased by 16 percent over last year. That's kind of a hard pill to swallow."