WILTON — Some street lights in town will go dark after residents chose to take $22,000 off the proposed street and traffic light budget Monday during the town’s annual meeting.

When the article came up, someone moved to raise only $30,000 to fund town lights this year,  Town Manager Rhonda Irish said Tuesday.

A vote by written ballot on the amendment passed by 43-39, she said. A voice vote on the $30,000 amount followed and confirmed voters approval.

Some of the approximately 110 people had left but more than 80 still remained. A few comments were voiced but residents were ready to reconsider last year’s decision to continue to fund street lighting.

Residents voted to fund $52,000 for street lights at last year’s meeting after voicing their concerns about safety. Prior to the town meeting last year, a committee reviewed the town’s 315 street lights in an effort to conserve and reduce the amount to $32,900, but residents disagreed raising it back to $52,000.

Now that people have spoken and want to pay only $30,000 for lights this year, some will have to be shut off, Irish said.

After a review of the lights with Central Maine Power representatives planned for next Friday, selectmen will make a final decision on which ones go dark, she said. After that, anyone who wants a darkened light to remain can contact CMP to make arrangements for the light and make payment for it themselves.

Voters also opted to not go with the recommendations from selectmen and the Finance Committee to raise $105,000 for the Wilton Free Public Library. They chose to fund last year’s amount of $108,675 or $3,675 more, she said.

Originally the library had requested $110,000 from the town but through the budgeting process, selectmen and the Finance Committee reduced it to $105,000.

Those were the only two article amounts changed, she said. In an earlier article, residents voted by written ballot 72-40 to increase the town’s property tax levy limit if needed in case any article amounts were raised. The town remained under the state allotted limit for the town.

Residents voiced concerns about costs during the meeting and questioned the costs for the phase 1 renovations to the town sewer treatment plant, the amount to maintain the town’s police department, whether $30,000 was needed for assessing and why the funds for operation and maintenance of the town office was increased.

All were eventually approved by voters.

The town office budget incorporates a needed new furnace and hot water system and $30,000 for assessing town properties which is required and within the range of what other similar towns pay, Irish told those gathered for the meeting.

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