OXFORD – Town meeting voters narrowly approved a request by selectmen to dispose of unused town-owned land, approved funding for a re-evaluation of properties, and OK’d a $3.1 million operating budget Saturday.

About 100 voters moved swiftly through the 45-article warrant in two hours – taking an hour to elect new town officials, including two new selectmen, Jay Forth and Roger Jackson, and to re-elect incumbent Selectman Scott Owens. Owens won on the first ballot with 60 votes, Forth won on the second ballot with 56 votes, and Jackson on the third with 58 votes. The three were also elected assessors.

Ron Kugell was re-elected moderator, Olive Sanborn and Kugell were re-elected to their seats on SAD 17, and Thomas Kennison was elected to the Water District.

In other warrant action, voters approved a $3.1 million municipal budget that is $257 less than last year’s budget. The money will be used to maintain town department budgets for fiscal year 2008. A portion will also pay for Oxford’s share to increase the hours for a regional drug agent from part-time to full-time. The town shares a part-time agent with Norway and Paris.

Voters also approved a request to spend $413,100 to conduct a full re-evaluation of properties in town, but not without some pointed questions about whether assessors would enter a dwelling to do the inspection and what the consequences would be if he or she were not allowed in.

The town’s assessor agent, Donna Hayes, told voters that properties will be reviewed both from the exterior and the interior. A re-evaluation has not been conducted since 1989, she said. Although a resident doesn’t have to allow an assessor to enter a home, it could lead to an incorrect assessment because the assessor wouldn’t be able to thoroughly inspect the interior, she warned.

Hayes said there are many cases where an older house may have vinyl siding on it, but no repairs to the interior. Because the exterior appears to be upgraded, the assessment could be higher than if the assessor were allowed to look at the interior. The opposite can also occur, she said, if an assessor were to find, for example, a finished basement that had not been noted before.

“To be fairly taxed all the components need to be looked at,” she said.

Some residents questioned whether the re-evaluation would force some residents out of their homes.

“I’ve heard awful horror stories,” resident Michael Thompson said of some property assessments across the state. “I fear people are going to be forced out of their homes. I’m scared to death this could be a really bad thing if it’s not handled properly.”

Another resident suggested an evaluation could cause a “major, major blow to the town” if people’s home values shoot up so high that they are forced to sell.

“The bottom line is that the assessment is not equitable in the town of Oxford,” Hayes said.

In the only other article that caused discussion, selectmen narrowly received support to sell several pieces of town-owned property on Nicholas Lane, Pierce Road and Aspen Avenue, which were intended for open space or recreation.

In a 31 to 24 hand vote, the request passed but not without much comment from voters.

Recreation Committee member Lois Pike asked that the article be reconsidered at the 2008 town meeting to allow selectmen to review the parcels of property that are under consideration to make sure the Recreation Committee can’t use them years down the road.

“We don’t object to getting rid of the property, but we want input,” said Pike, who asked voters to shoot down the article.

Selectmen said the land is scattered throughout the town and has sat vacant for years. They assured committee members they will review the land with them.

In other action, voters accepted Longview Drive as a town road and approved changes in the Budget Committee bylaws that allows committee members to have jurisdiction to act even if there are vacancies on the board.