FARMINGTON – Voters elected Ryan Morgan to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen Monday.

Morgan drew 99 votes to incumbent John Frary’s 67.

Running unopposed, Iris Silverstein was elected to a three-year term on the SAD 9 board.

In a straw poll vote, voters supported moving the annual town meeting from a Monday night to a Saturday morning starting in 2010 by a vote of 102-66.

Some voters expressed concerns about expenses in light of current economic times throughout the warrant’s 41 articles yet moved quickly to approve police, fire and other department budgets with little or no comment.

An article requesting $5,000 for the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project drew several comments after Selectman Jon Bubier explained why the board recommended not giving the organization anything this year.

Bubier said he found the organization’s administration to be “top heavy,” according to figures given to the board.

“This organization has the best benefit package I’ve ever seen,” he said.

The money will neither make nor break the organization. It works with police to respond to domestic violence and is labor intensive, Jim Andrews said.

One woman called for an amendment to the article asking that the town give $3,000 to the organization.

“If it’s something you believe in then give them your money but don’t give everyone else’s money to it,” William Crandall said.

The amended motion was defeated and then voters approved the zero amount for the organization.

An article for general administration caused concern as Crandall asked why town employees received 4.8 percent raises in light of the economy.

The board based the amount on the Consumer Price Index last fall when inflation and oil prices were high, explained Town Manager Richard Davis.

Instead of basing it on one month as had been done, selectmen averaged it over a year, which brought the rate down from what it would have been – 5.2 percent if the previous formula was followed, he said.

“We won’t see that type of thing again there were times when it worked the other way,” he said.

Crandall asked if selectmen could find another way to set pay increases and renegotiate bargaining agreements.

Although this year’s budget came under the state property tax levy limit by $23,000, Davis encouraged voters to increase the amount. Actual increases won’t be known until the end of the calendar year because of unknowns of non-property tax revenues and reduced state funding, he said.

Voters agreed to raise the limit as an insurance against coming back later in the year for a special town meeting.