CANTON — Voters at the annual Town Meeting on Tuesday evening approved a $1.2 million budget, adding $8,000 for a spring cleanup and $3,375 for four social service agencies.

The budget is nearly the same as this fiscal year, which ends Friday.

The transfer station budget was increased by $8,000, to $108,400, after Diana Weston asked about having a spring cleanup, which the town used to do.

“The biggest thing is the budget was already going up by $35,000 so I didn’t want that increasing even more by doing that,” Russell Adams, chairman of the Select Board, said. He was referring higher costs for tipping fees from Archie’s Inc. of Mexico, which hauls the town’s waste.

An article to raise money for five social service agencies was amended to the amounts given last year. The only agency in the 2023-24 budget was SeniorsPlus for $1,000.

Budget Committee member Robyn McClintock said members sought to repeal a town policy from 1990 that required the town to send letters to some nonprofits seeking their requests for donations.

“We feel like as a town we fiscally need to stop that,” she said.

Janice Daku, executive director of the Rural Community Action Ministry of Leeds, said she asked the Town Office staff in December if she needed to have a petition for a donation and was told it wasn’t necessary.

After further discussion, residents agreed to give $2,000 for RCAM, $500 for Androscoggin Home Health, $625 for Community Concepts and $250 for Oxford County Sexual Assault, the same as they did last year.

Moderator Dave Duguay of Byron led the 33 voters through the 43 articles, which were approved.

At the start of the meeting, Carole Robbins, vice chairwoman of the Select Board, presented the Steve and Lisa Wills Memorial Citizenship Award to Carl and Jane Lueders, owners of Flood Zone Farm.

Robbins described them as “selfless individuals who give freely of their time and resources to improve community life. They do many behind-the-scenes acts of kindness which people aren’t aware of. Jane often donates fresh produce to the Canton food pantry during the summer months. She has also volunteered countless hours in the schools, helping out with whatever was needed.”

Carl Lueders is a member of the Regional School Unit 56 board of directors, the recreation department and the volunteer fire department. He has often donated his time and equipment for ball field maintenance, Robbins said.

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