BUCKFIELD — The Select Board on Tuesday authorized interim Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz to spend $130,000 to purchase two used snowplow trucks.

At the recent special town referendum, residents supported a warrant that allowed the town to spend up to $180,000 to purchase up the three trucks.

Berkowitz said he has found two used ones in good condition from O’Connor Trucks in Augusta and Westbrook. They are a 2007 Mac with 77,637 miles, and a 2012 Peterbilt with 56,784 miles. Both will come with undated inspection stickers.

“They are in really good shape,” said Berkowitz, who has inspected both vehicles along with a former town public works director.

Any necessary initial repairs could come out of the leftover funds, Berkowitz said, since they would be considered acquisition funds. After a week or so, any required repairs would have to come out of the maintenance budget.

The board instructed Berkowitz to explore if the remaining funds could be placed in reserves.

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Due to the lateness in finalizing the tax rate, the board agreed to delay charging interest for late tax payments until Jan. 1, 2021. The tax rate still needs to be finalized. Taxes were originally due Nov. 15.

Selectman Martha Catevenis expressed concern that the town has not yet hired a public works foreman as winter approaches soon.

“People are highly concerned about being trapped,” Catevenis said. “It’s going to snow, people. And I’m concerned with the ice.”

In addition to no foreman, the town has no plow truck drivers.

Berkowitz said he has talked with a few who are qualified to be foreman, but said the town’s pay rate of $19 was too low for any of them to accept. He said he needed a salary of at least $21.50, which would be a $5,800 increase for the year.

The board agreed to increase the pay rate.

In other business, the board scheduled a public hearing for a auto salvage/junk year permit Nov. 10 prior to its regular meeting that day.

The board also approved that the town host a trunk or treat function on Halloween.

A request by Central Maine Power for a pole on Tucker Road was approved.

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