UPTON – In a 30-minute town meeting at the old schoolhouse Thursday night, about two dozen voters approved a $168,000 municipal budget.

Town clerk, tax collector and treasurer Jim Rector, who was re-elected to another one-year term, said he expects a slight decline in the tax rate of $8.57 per $1,000 valuation when the rate is set in late summer.

He said the budget is down a bit from 2008, largely because the town did not have to buy highway equipment.

The most talked about issue involved requirements for the transfer station on town property on East B Hill Road. Voters increased funding from $18,000 to $23,000 to try to meet some of the requirements.

Rector said a recent inspection by the Department of Environmental Protection revealed non-compliance issues including disposal of tires and the brush pile, which has non-burnable materials mixed in with it.

“We have a big pile that needs to be sorted and hauled,” he said.

The metal pile also has been contaminated with other materials such as concrete blocks. Rector said the metal pile area must be dug up, then screened.

The inspection also revealed a need to fence the station site so people will not enter when an attendant is not on duty.

In addition to Rector, voters elected Michele Bouchard to the School Committee for a three-year term. She replaces Collie Svendberg, who chose not to run again.

They re-elected Marie Aron to a second three-year term as selectman.

Rector said the town will call a special meeting in June to act on a flood plain insurance plan as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an amendment to the town’s shoreland zoning ordinance as required by the state, and on a school budget needed to educate the town’s eight students.