SUMNER — About 65 residents took an hour and a half to vote on a 37-article warrant at Saturday’s annual town meeting.

With little discussion, voters approved the $1.45 million 2013-14 budget recommended by the Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee. 

Voters elected Buckfield resident Glenn Holmes to moderate the meeting. 

Before acting on the budget articles, Town Clerk Susan Runes said the budget presented by selectmen ensured a flat tax rate from last year. 

Even though budgeted expenses were $11,872 more than last year, mainly owing to higher school taxes, selectmen recommended using $102,500 from the town’s General Fund and $256,000 from anticipated revenue to offset the increase and prevent a tax hike. 

In an interview last week, Runes said the town usually used money from the General Fund to offset property taxes but was using a little more this year because of the increase.

The town’s payments of $727,262 to Regional School Unit 10 and $49,975 to Oxford County make up more than half of its anticipated expenses for 2013-14. 

With very few votes against, residents approved the recommended budget, which is $24,327 smaller than the budget requested by town departments. 

Among items cut by selectmen were $10,000 in summer road and bridge work, for a total of $150,000 budgeted; $3,045 less for social services; a $2,000 cut to the Recreation Department; and the elimination of $1,500 in funding for emergency management. 

Smaller cuts included reductions in discretionary funds, legal fees, firefighters insurance, archival preservation, street signs and liens. 

In the past, Sumner has held its annual town meeting on a Monday evening. In an informal straw poll requested by selectmen Saturday, a slim majority of voters indicated a preference to hold future meetings on Saturday morning. 

“I’d prefer rainy Saturday mornings, though, if we could arrange that,” joked one resident. 

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