PHILLIPS — Voters decided Saturday to keep their town manager form of government and reject a recall ordinance.

The town meeting brought voters to the Phillips Elementary School to approve a fiscal year budget that starts July 1.

This year’s $943,998 budget request was slightly less than 1 percent over last year’s budget, with increases due to rising fuel costs.

“The approved budget is $959,978,” Interim Town Manager Elaine Hubbard said. “That is $3,977 over the Budget Committee’s recommendation and $15,980 over the selectmen’s recommendations.”

Former town manager Lynn White defeated incumbent Nancy Morgan for a three-year selectman’s seat. White steered the town through a brief crisis in 2008 when voters refused to pass a budget the last Saturday in June, leaving the municipality without the authority to pay its expenses.

“We’re looking for ways to make Phillips a more comfortable town to live in,” White said.

Diana Thomas defeated Alan Morse in a challenge for his school board seat.

“I’m looking forward to contributing, but I think I’ll spend a lot of time listening and learning at first,” she said on Tuesday. Thomas and her husband, Rob, own Bog Pond Pottery and have a son at the Phillips Elementary School.

Townspeople re-elected Town Clerk Evelyn Wilbur and decided they would prefer to continue electing their town clerk, rather than allowing selectmen to appoint someone.

They also voted against adopting a recall ordinance that would allow voters to collect signatures and have a special election to remove municipal officials from office. Charles Wilbur and Debora McCarthy wanted voters to agree to a plan to recall elected officials, but neither plan was approved. Of the 125 voters casting their ballots, 73 voted against Wilbur’s proposal, and 52 voted for it, according to Hubbard. McCarthy’s proposal was defeated by a show of hands.

Nearly $10,000 extra was approved for local causes and charitable organizations. Those receiving funds include the Phillips Food Pantry, $3,000; Phillips Historical Society, $1,500 in matching funds; Community Concepts Inc., $500; Safe Voices, $1,000; the Conservation Commission, $3,000; and SeniorsPlus, $469.