HARTFORD — Residents last week elected a new town clerk and approved next year’s fiscal budget.

Voters on June 14 selected Hartford resident Elizabeth Plumley over Paris resident and Deputy Town Clerk Barbara Robinson as town clerk in a 59-36 vote. Plumley will serve a three-year term.

At the town meeting on June 18, residents approved 51 warrant articles and made several appointments. Clarence Hill was re-elected as fire warden, and five Budget Committee members were appointed to the board: Doreen Maxwell, Bob L’Heureux, Lianne Bedard, Leslie Boness and Dan Maddox.

After some debate, residents voted to pass the $171,910 budget for summer roads, a $21,147 increase from last year. They also added an additional $100,000 for road projects, $50,000 more than the minimum request. Last year, the town spent $350,000 on three road projects.

The road project funds set aside for the upcoming fiscal year are discretionary, according to Selectman Lee Holman. 

Residents also approved:

• Winter roads, $244,859, up $88 from last year;

• Administration, $138,743, up $8,168;

• Solid waste curbside pickup, recycling services and transfer station operation, $88,755, down nearly $2,100; 

• Public safety, $84,581, up $2,242 from last year; and 

• Revaluation reserve account, $9,400, up $5,800. 

Residents took $110,000 from the fund balance, up from the $60,000 requested in the warrant article.

Residents also approved a $1,400 budget for the Hartford News, the town’s newsletter, and passed all donations except for the Red Cross, which had been slated to receive $375. 

Residents amended an article cutting the donation to Lifeflight of Maine to $300 instead of $593, and slashed a $1,500 allocation for new batting cages for the school down to $350.

ccrosby@sunjournal.com