Minot cut its annual budget by nearly $60,000, primarily by combining the roles of the road commissioner and town administrator, at a town meeting Saturday.

Residents decided to make Arlen Saunders, who had been road commissioner, the town manager as well, saving about $44,000 in personnel costs. Saunders replaced Rhonda Irish, who left Minot last month to become town manager of Wilton.

The budget for the next year was set at $1,462,543, not including school costs. The major addition to the budget was the purchase of a new loader at a cost of $52,000, which will be spread over this year and next under a lease-purchase agreement.

Residents also rejected new restrictions on wind turbines. Selectman Eda Tripp said many residents said the wording wasn't precise enough and would have made it too restrictive to put up a wind turbine in town.

Residents also allocated $22,000 to a committee that will design and develop a new section of the town-owned cemetery.

In elections, Dan Campbell and Daniel Callahan were both re-elected as selectmen and Chris Woodford and Annette Annance were elected to the school board. Campbell and Callahan will serve only until June, when a new regional school unit goes into operation.