GILEAD — Twenty-four residents spent 38 minutes at town meeting Saturday night, approving a municipal budget smaller than the current spending plan, Town Clerk Lin Chapman said later that evening.

The new budget of $213,415 is $66,359 less than the 2012-13 budget of $279,774. The municipal budget doesn’t include the school assessment, which is done in June.

“It was a record town meeting for us, because it started at 7 o’clock and ended at 7:38 p.m.,” Chapman said. “But 24 residents is low for Gilead. Usually, we have 60 to 70 people, but there was nothing contentious to bring them out.”

After electing Paul Handlen moderator, voters approved all of the articles that sought approvals and decided to give the Fire Department $5,000 more than was sought, she said.

Article 5 sought to raise $16,000 for equipment and maintaining the Fire Department. Selectmen recommended carrying the balance forward and raising the $16,000 through taxation, plus estimated revenue due for services and reimbursement.

Chapman said an amendment was made and approved to instead raise $21,000. She said the department is trying to update equipment and gear and the extra money would help them do that.

In municipal elections, which are done from the floor, there were no contested races. Stephen McLain was re-elected to a three-year term on the Board of Selectman; Ann Choquette was re-elected to a three-year term on the Gilead School Board; and Nikki Petillo was elected to a one-year term on the school board.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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