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Staff report Sunday, May 6, 2007

Residents rejected hundreds of thousands of dollars in municipal spending recommended by the Town Council Saturday to a lightly attended town meeting.

Because of a change in the town's charter last year, this year's town meeting did not set Gray's municipal budget, but rather established the budget questions that will go to voters on June 12.

The Town Council was seeking to spend $200,000 on downtown revitalization, but residents rejected the idea, so the matter will not appear on next month's ballot, according to Councilor Skip Crane.

Residents also removed about $100,000 from the more than $728,000 the Town Council recommended in spending on administrative services, according to Crane. He said it will be up to town councilors and town manager to determine where administrative costs can be cut.

Crane estimated 65 to 70 people attended the meeting at the Newbegin Center, which lasted about five and a half hours.