DIXFIELD — Voters at the annual town meeting Thursday passed a budget for personnel and operation of the town office that is slightly less than last year.

Former Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky said cuts were primarily made in personnel services and utilities, bringing the Executive Department budget to $310,953, which is $9,047 less than last year.

Sonya Fuller asked whether the town employees would be receiving raises.

“No, there were no raises in the personnel services,” Skibitsky replied.

Dan McKay told voters he thought $310,953 was too high for the department.

“We’ve got to pare that down,” he said. “We don’t need to have a town office open five days a week. In comparison to other towns surrounding us, like Peru and Canton, this is a bloated budget. We can do much better than this and still maintain enough services in the Executive Department … This is just my statement. You’re going to vote how you want to.”

One resident wanted to know what types of benefits town employees received under the allotted budget.

Skibitsky said they include Social Security, retirement, health care, dental care, workers’ compensation and unemployment.

McKay pointed out that nearly 70 percent of the Executive Department budget was in personnel services and employee benefits, which he said was too high.

“We can probably cut some work hours or cut positions and that is the obvious place to start,” McKay said. “If the state revenue sharing doesn’t go through this year, we’ll be in trouble.”

Town secretary and Deputy Treasurer Samantha Ellis told residents, “Cutting the office hours is a cost savings, but it won’t lower your tax rate. Coming from the person that you would cut, as a single mother, I can’t do that. One day a week from our office will not lower the tax rate, and taking away someone’s livelihood won’t either.”

Voters approved $310,953 for the Executive Department.

Residents spent nearly three hours discussing the first nine articles on the warrant, with narrow votes approving the Police Department and Public Works budgets. Deputy Town Clerk Vicki Carrier said Friday afternoon that the meeting took four hours and 25 minutes and ended at 10:25 p.m.

Among the articles passed was one appropriating $83,120 from surplus to repair the town’s sidewalks. The money would be added to a Maine Department of Transportation Sidewalk Grant of $288,232.

All budget items were approved for the recommended amounts, according to Carrier.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com

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