Residents Saturday voted to appropriate $14,750 more this year toward emergency dispatching services, though many felt they were doing it "under protest."

At Saturday's town meeting, debate was rife among the more than 120 residents gathered at the West Gardiner Fire Station. The original warrant article was to appropriate $34,750 to fund the emergency dispatching services from the Department of Public Safety's Regional Communications Center.

The town's bill last year for services was $20,000.

Many residents, including the selectmen, were outraged at the increase. Vic Goodwin Sr., chairman of the selectmen, said he would support the people's decision to turn down the article.

"I just do not understand where this money is going to," Goodwin said. "It's ridiculous that adults are even suggesting this and expecting us to just swallow it."

Many amendments were made before the article was agreed upon. In the end, however, residents agreed that appropriating the funds while "sending a strong message" to state government was the right path to choose.

West Gardiner residents finally voted to appropriate the $34,750 for dispatching services, but with the conditions selectmen write to the state about their outrage over the fee and the town will shop around for different dispatching services.