NEW SHARON – It took three hours and seven separate votes to elect three selectmen Saturday. Incumbents Maynard Webster and Russell Gardner retained their seats, but veteran Jim Smith lost Larry Donald, 128-112.

Resident Robert Ames thanked Smith for his work and his 46 years on the board, and more than 240 people at the town meeting gave him a standing ovation.

After repeated attempts to gain a majority vote in the three-way selectmen’s race, moderator Nora Thombs had three assistant ballot clerks appointed to help the three already counting to make the process quicker.

Voters once again took out their small pieces of paper used as ballots, which most brought from home, to decide who would get the second selectman’s seat.

Webster won the seat in a 152-86 vote over Jim Fleming.

The third selectman’s term took four tries before a winner was declared.

During the first try, incumbent Gardner received 98 votes, Fleming 71 and Spencer Thompson 70. Since there was no majority, it was back to the ballot box. With the 239 votes cast in the first round of voting, a candidate needed to receive half the votes – or 119 – plus one to win with a majority.

The second vote left Gardner with 100 votes, Thompson 67 and Fleming 66. The third vote gave Gardner 101 votes, Fleming 67 and Thompson 50. Thompson then withdrew his name, leaving Gardner and Fleming in the running, with Gardner keeping the seat in a 113-100 vote.

By then it was 3 hours after the town meeting began, and there was a race for road commissioner between incumbent Donald Lowe and former Commissioner Kevin Brann. Lowe won in a squeaker by a 110-105 vote.

Residents decided to take a break for lunch and resumed debate at 1:45 p.m. to consider treasurer and tax collector.

Longtime Treasurer Miriam Smith retained her position in a 58-44 vote over Deborah McCourt.

Town Clerk/Tax Collector Rose Mary Eller was uncontested. She received an $800 raise for the town clerk job, bringing that salary to $7,100. Her tax collector salary remained the same at $7,300.

Voters approved staggering selectmen’s terms beginning in 2009.

They rejected raising $12,000 to match a $12,000 grant from the state to update the comprehensive plan.

At 3 p.m., though only about 100 voters remained and the snow still fell steadily outside the Cascade Brook School, they were discussing Article 11 to see if they wanted selectmen to investigate the feasibility and cost of repairing Muddy Brook Bridge on Main Street and had 40 more articles to go.