By Kerri Pepoy,Staff Writer

HEBRON – Residents voted at the annual town meeting Saturday to raise and appropriate $640,073 in taxes for calendar year 2006, an increase from last year’s total of $536,544.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Richard C. Deans said the initial amount to be voted on by residents was $626,958; however, some individual spending items on the warrant were amended during the meeting.

The largest item was money for the town fire department. The Budget Committee originally recommended $37,000, but fire department officials asked residents for $44,000, which was approved, to purchase new overhead doors for the Burnham Road Fire Station.

Additionally, the Budget Committee originally recommended raising and appropriating $2,233 for workers- compensation insurance, but Deans told voters the actual cost this year will be $5,345. Voters approved the $3,112 difference.

Voters also chose to give slightly higher-than-recommended amounts to the Rape Education and Crisis Hotline, the Child Health Center and the American Red Cross.

The budget total for 2006 does not include county and SAD 17 taxes.

James Reid was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen, filling the slot vacated by Roina Berube, who resigned for medical reasons. Sandra Bruno was elected to the SAD 17 board of directors for a three-year term.

Residents voted to raise and appropriate $150,000 to buy a new pumper/tanker fire truck. A total of $27,918.75 will be drawn from the fire truck reserve account, and the rest will be borrowed.

Before the vote, Fire Chief James E. Trundy said the new truck would replace the two oldest vehicles in the department’s fleet. One 30-year-old pumper engine did not pass a state-mandated pump test this winter, and an old, converted oil delivery truck that has been used as a tanker has outlived its usefulness, he said.

Several residents asked Trundy if the pumper engine could be repaired instead of buying a new truck. “Money is money, and taxes are taxes,” said Rodney Bryant, who made a motion to raise and appropriate $30,000 for the fire truck reserve account and not buy a new truck.

Trundy said repairs on the old truck would cost several thousand dollars. “In my opinion, it isn’t worth putting money into,” he said.

Voters also approved raising and appropriating $111,200 for the care and maintenance of winter roads and $55,000 for the care and maintenance of summer roads.

Last year $95,000 and $50,000 were raised for winter and summer roads, respectively.

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