By Nick P. Angelides,Special to the Sun Journal

GREENE – Residents approved articles that are likely to reduce residents’ tax bite and one item that put some teeth in their barking-dog ordinance, at the annual town meeting here Saturday.

Town Manager Charlie Noonan said that, if all goes as recommended, the town should see a slight decrease in taxes but a mil rate could not be confirmed until after the school budget is voted on in June.

A new dog ordinance, approved by a 38-31 vote, gives the town a procedure for handling complaints against owners whose dogs create a nuisance by barking steadily for one hour or intermittently for three hours. The ordinance defines fines from $50 to $250 for violators.

Among the 56 articles voted on, taxpayers agreed to encumber funds of $124,136 for an expansion to the Julian Adams Memorial Library. The funds will be placed in a certificate of deposit, allowing the amount to accrue interest.

Residents voted to have Noonan research back to 2000 and find out how much of the interest from this account has been funneled into the towns’ surplus account. The amount, not to exceed $12,000, will be reimbursed to the library expansion fund.

One hot topic this year revolved around an amendment which asked taxpayers to raise and appropriate $25,000 to the Firetruck Capital Reserve Account. Resident Sheldon Bubier argued that the department recently purchased two firetrucks and that it had not had one fire in the last year. “I don’t think we are going to need a new truck for about 15 years,” he said.

Selectman Timothy Doyle opposed and said it is always better to put aside a little money every year so as not to hit taxpayers down the road. “It’s a more prudent thing to do – to put $25,000 a year opposed to asking for one lump some of $250,000 or more.”

Taxpayers agreed with Doyle and voted to appropriate the money.

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