NORWAY — A small group of voters approved $13,500 in new spending for the Norway Memorial Library and the town’s cemetery account during a special town meeting Thursday. 

Voters approved the appropriation of $9,000 from the town’s surplus to fund the library and prevent furlough days that were planned due to a budget shortfall this year. 

Funding to the library was cut nearly $13,000 at the annual town meeting in June. 

The reduction was part of across-the-board cuts included in the recommended 2013-14 budget handed to voters at the town meeting.

The budget cuts were a result of concerns that Norway would lose a substantial amount of funding from a possible elimination of state revenue sharing. 

Revenue sharing was not fully eliminated in the final Maine state budget passed in June and Norway voters, at a special town meeting that month, ended up adding another $213,000 to the budget.

Funding for the library, however, was left out of the restored funds. About $9,000 of the $12,755 cut came from personnel expenses.

Last month, library Director Beth Kane announced that 10 unpaid furlough days, when the library would be closed, would be implemented to prevent cuts in other areas. 

Shortly after finding out about the furlough days, Town Manager David Holt and Norway selectmen scheduled a special town meeting to restore funding. 

Speaking after Thursday’s vote, Kane said she was grateful for the show of support voters gave the library.

“I think David was very up front that it was mistakenly not addressed at the first special town meeting and he just wanted to make sure it was addressed,” she said. “The selectmen were supportive and it went right through.”

Voters also approved appropriating $4,500 from the town’s surplus to trim or cut a large pine tree in the Norway Center cemetery that has become a safety issue. 

At the special town meeting in June, residents expressed concern with the tree and Holt agreed that the town should address it. 

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