NEWRY – In 90 minutes Monday night, 44 residents approved a $1.08 million budget at town meeting inside the Bear River Grange Hall.

The budget does not include SAD 44 and Oxford County tax assessments, which are done in June.

The mood, following a potluck supper, was jovial, Selectman Steve Wight said after the meeting.

“There was no blood on the floor, so, we’ll call it a good meeting,” Wight added.

There was more discussion on an article that sought $10,000 toward a skateboard park in nearby Bethel than there was on an article that sought $225,000 on a new fire truck.

A majority OK’d buying a 2007 Kenworth firetruck to replace a 1969 Maxim pumper and a 1980 Ford pumper, but the skate park donation was defeated 24-20.

Organizers of the park proposal had sought $25,000, but selectmen only recommended $10,000. The money would have been used to leverage grant money.

Additionally, an article to allow selectmen to increase the property tax levy limit of $445,428 only drew one written vote – Wight’s. He did attempt to cajole more people into not trusting what his vote would be, to no avail. Moderator Wendy Hanscom then had to explain what the article meant after voters had approved expenditures totaling $583,673, the amount to be raised through taxation.

“The article passed by one vote,” Hanscom said to laughter.

Previously, voters had OK’d taking $350,000 from surplus to offset taxes.

Voters also approved raising $8,000 to be coupled with in-kind labor and materials as the town’s match for a $90,000 federal grant received last fall for erosion control activities in the Bear and Sunday River watersheds after consultant Jeff Stern explained the article.