FARMINGTON – Before settling down to business at the town meeting Monday, Selectmen Stephen Bunker and Dennis Pike took a few moments to recognize Charles Murray’s 10 years of service to the board.

A standing ovation followed for the man Bunker called “a fair gentleman” who will be missed by board members. Murray chose to not seek re-election to his position on the board.

The last half of the articles went fairly quickly, said Town Manager Richard Davis on Tuesday. The meeting was well attended and brought a lot of good discussion, he said.

An early attempt to defeat an article that sought to increase the property tax levy limit of $1,989,562.88 established for Farmington by state law failed, he said.

Before action started on article four, Tom Eastler requested that the tax levy limit article be moved from number 28 to an immediate vote before other articles were discussed.

Quoting the early placement of the article on the Industry town warrant, Eastler told the audience that if all articles were approved, the budget would be $155,000 more than the tax levy limit allows.

In recent years, the town has voted to increase the limit in order to cover the amount budgeted. A written ballot is required by law to authorize an increase, but it can be done.

Eastler urged voters to not wait until 23 other articles were approved and most of the crowd had left, but instead to hold an immediate vote.

Prior to the meeting, Bill Crandall passed out sheets of suggested motions for changes to article amounts requested as a basis for “constructive discussion” of the budget issues at the town meeting. The intended changes would have met the LD 1 spending cap.

After Eastler made the motion, Davis explained that whether the town approved article 28 at the beginning or end, it didn’t mean that voters could not make cuts as each article was discussed.

“You should choose your priorities. It’s your town. You shouldn’t let Augusta tell you what the limits are,” Davis said.

Davis also stated that he intends to recommend moving $100,000 into the undesignated fund, which would bring the estimated amount over limit down to about $55,000.

Most selectmen responded to Eastler’s motion. Bunker told voters that the proposed budgeted items were the most reasonable approach. Cuts could mean a reduction in services that people are not going to appreciate, he said.

“When people start their own budgets they have to realize it’s not what we want but what we can afford,” Selectman John Frary said.

Murray expressed confidence that the people assembled were smart enough and involved enough to go through the articles item by item.

The motion to move the article failed but once the town reached number 28, Davis said it passed on a written ballot of 80 to 31.

The request to transfer all assets of the Farmington Cemetery Corporation to the town passed with no discussion, Davis said Tuesday. The town approved the requested $30,000 for maintenance of the cemeteries and then agreed to the transfer. The assets include Riverside and Fairview cemeteries, perpetual care funds of approximately $334,000, the balance of the operating account and miscellaneous personal property.

Other articles passed fairly quickly and the meeting ended around 9:30 p.m., he said.