HEBRON — Voters unanimously approved refurbishing the old town garage, Ok’d about $807,000 in spending requests for the fiscal 2017 municipal budget and re-elected incumbent officials to their posts at Saturday’s annual town meeting.
About 50 voters acted on the 65-article warrant at Hebron Station School.
Voters re-elected Board of Selectmen Chairman Richard Deans, SAD 17 Director Elizabeth Swift and Moody Library Trustee Sandra Bruno to their seats. A three-way contest for two seats on the Budget Committee returned incumbents Bruce Conant and James Turner to the committee. Conant received 31 votes; Turner, 42. Josh Hounsell, who was nominated from the floor, received 14 votes.
Voters also approved returning the Board of Selectmen to a one-year term as road commissioners.
Selectmen said the municipal budget is a flat spending plan, but tax impact cannot be determined until the SAD 17 and Oxford County budgets are solidified, Selectman Daniel J. Eichorn said.
Voters approved a request to spend $9,200 to refurbish the told town garage rather than tear it down. The Hebron Budget Committee recommended no action on an article to tear down the old garage and instead recommended to spend the money to refurbish it.
Last year, town meeting voters authorized selectmen to bond up to $175,000 for a new town garage, but the vote was contingent upon an amendment that voters revisit the issue of tearing down the existing garage, to be voted on at this year’s town meeting.
Voters approved $20,000 to fund three town employees’ health insurance at 100 percent but not without discussion about the wisdom of providing the full benefit, which was granted for the first time last year.
Selectmen told voters the benefit allows the town to be competitive in the job market.
Voters also approved spending requests by town departments, including $45,000 for the Fire Department, $10,000 for a new firetruck, $70,000 for care of summer roads and $120,000 for the care of winter roads.
Voters also approved $80,000 for the care of the transfer station. Some voters, however, questioned the amount saying other methods, such as single sort recycling or charging for dumping appliances or construction materials should be looked at to lower overall costs.
ldixon@sunmediagroup.net
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