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Sunday, March 18, 2007

Residents considered postponing the town meeting out of concern that Saturday's sloppy weather might have kept some townspeople away.

But Gloria Ripley, the town's administrative assistant, said the consensus ultimately was that as many people showed up as usually do.

A bigger concern people had, she said, is that projected warmer-than-normal temperatures next weekend might pose a greater threat to turnout.

"People have spent all winter indoors," she said, "and when it is a nice day, they don't want to be sitting in town meeting."

The meeting lasted just under 4‡ hours and lacked any issue that generated much debate.

Voters approved a municipal budget of about $1.2 million, a spending plan that is roughly $200,000 less than the one townspeople agreed to last March. About 50 residents attended.

The effect on the town's tax rateİwill not be known until other variables are factored in, notably the town's contribution to the School Administrative District 47 budget. That contribution has yet to be determined.

Ripley said townspeople did not have to override the state law that puts limits on municipal spending.İ"We were well within our limit," she said.

In town elections, Ripley said, incumbent Karen Hatch-Gagne defeated Jim Tracy by a handful of votes to retain her seat on theİSAD 47 Board of Directors. In the only contested Board of Selectmen race, George Corey prevailed against Carla Gilley, the incumbent.

- Blethen Maine News Service