DIXFIELD — Townspeople were well on their way to setting a new record for the length of an annual town meeting Thursday night when only three money articles had been decided in two and a half hours.

A few years ago, the annual event extended into the early-morning hours of the next day.

About 65 people attended, often nearly divided on each article, with amendment upon amendment motioned, voted down, motioned again, and voted down again. At least two articles required a dozen or more votes to finally arrive at a figure.

Selectmen had proposed a $2 million budget, up about 6 percent from the current fiscal year.

Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky said each account had been carefully scrutinized and every dollar had a purpose.

Included in most accounts were staff raises of just over 4 percent to match contractual raises of unionized employees.

That didn’t sit well with some residents.

“It would be nice in good times to give raises, but a lot of people haven’t had raises in four or five years,” Sonya Fuller said.

She had motioned to reduce the recommended $317,923 for the executive department to $275,000, a figure Skibitsky said would seriously hurt the office staff.

Following several amendments, a slim majority, 32-29, approved $315,000, just $2,923 less than had been originally proposed.

A similar fate was met by a proposed Police Department budget of $324,823. After a series of amendments, one dipping to $275,000 for the operation of the five-person department, residents voted 34-23 to appropriate $322,000, a figure that is $11,000 more than approved in 2011-12.

Police Chief Richard Pickett said the vast majority of the increase was the result of higher gasoline costs.

Public Works lost $3,520 from the proposed $513,520 amount to $510,000 following several amendments.

Prior to the beginning of the warrant articles, Hometown Energy owner Ike Libby was honored with flowers and a plaque as Distinguished Citizen of the Year.

He garnered national headlines earlier in the year by focusing on the plight of people unable to buy heating oil because of its high cost. More than $250,000 from people around the country poured in and was used to set up a fund to provide oil for deserving people.

Residents also quickly agreed to set Sept. 15, 2012, and April 15, 2013, as payment dates for property taxes, and agreed to set an annual interest rate of 7 percent for those paid late.