By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

VIENNA – Just under 100 residents attended town meeting Saturday, which had been postponed from the previous weekend due to weather.

It took residents about one-and-a-half hours to vote on 53 articles passing a budget of just under $362,000, according to Connie Smith, town clerk.

Retaining one-year terms as selectmen were Randall Carl, Christopher Smith and Dodi Thompson. Sole challenger, Misty McKechnie received 30 votes, while Thompson received 122, Smith 119 and Carl 94. Also re-elected unopposed were Martha Gross as treasurer, Connie Smith as town clerk and tax collector, Linwood Meader Jr. as road commissioner and Allison Broome for school board.

Eliciting the most discussion, Connie Smith said, was an article asking residents to fund a harbor master position at an hourly rate rather than at a flat annual rate. People, particularly those with property on Kimball and Flying Ponds, were concerned about protecting the waters from invasive plant species and want a harbor master to be more involved with boat monitoring and inspection.

The position has been vacant since November when the former harbor master resigned leaving a surplus in the $1,500 salary for the fiscal year.

Voters approved an article for $1,500 to fund the position at $15 hourly with the expectation that the harbor master would work approximately 300 hours annually. Additional funding for the position will be raised by a water conservation committee.

Road paving was also discussed. When an article for $30,000 passed for road construction, voters agreed to use the funding to repair Tower and Bean Farm roads.