NORWAY — About a dozen voters and the Board of Selectmen unanimously authorized funding more than $100,000 in budget overdrafts from the previous fiscal year at Thursday night’s special town meeting.

The majority of the $103,844 overdraft request — a total of $64,590 — is for General Assistance.

“The cost to the town is not as daunting as it looks, but the total cost is enough to get all our attention,” said Town Manager David Holt. He said a little more than half of the $64,590 that is needed to make up a deficiency in the fiscal 2010 budget that ended on June 30, will be reimbursed by the state.

In addition to the $64,590 for the General Assistance request, voters also approved about $9,000 for administration; $20,657 for the police department, $166 for the animal control officer; $1,422 for solid waste and $8,018 for community development.

The overdraft money will be coming out of the surplus fund.

Holt said the solid waste budget for recycling is done on a calendar year rather than the town’s fiscal year of July 1 to June 30, so the budget request at annual town meeting is usually from the previous year’s accounting.

Because the amount of recyclables went down, Holt said the budget had to go up this year.

“We didn’t anticipate that,” he said.

Voters also approved the discontinuance of winter maintenance on the Damon Road for 10 years after the selectmen unanimously agreed at a public hearing held just before the special town meeting to recommend the action. Only one summer resident lives on the road and that person suggested that the snow plowing be discontinued.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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