SUMNER – Residents want better roads, but they’re not willing to pay for them yet.

At Monday’s town meeting, voters approved no increase in funding for summer maintenance of town roads.

“We haven’t increased the $110,000 in several years,” said Town Clerk Susan Runes of the budget for roads, bridges and reconstruction. She explained that staying at the same amount would keep the tax rate the same as last year, although individual property taxes may fluctuate because of the town’s recent revaluation.

Road Commissioner Jim Keach said, “$110,000 doesn’t take care of inflation, even. If you want better roads you’re going to have to pay for them.”

Keach made a motion to amend the amount recommended by the selectmen and Budget Committee to $200,000. The amendment failed, but prompted a discussion of roads and the road budget.

Selectman Clifford McNeil expressed the feelings of many present at the town meeting. “I don’t think at this point in time we should throw up a figure off the top of our heads,” he said. McNeil explained that selectmen and the Budget Committee had worked hard to create a budget that maintained the $13.45 tax rate, but he said roads were an issue “we should look at through the winter and talk about.”

Having unanimously defeated the motion to amend the budget to $200,000, voters proceeded to defeat a motion to amend the amount to $130,000.

Most people seemed willing to spend more on roads, but not without a solid plan.

“Sometime along the line we’re probably going to have to bite the bullet and do a bond,” said Edwin Hinshaw, a member of the town’s comprehensive plan committee.

Selectman Tom Standard had prepared information on the cost of rebuilding and paving the town’s roads for the town report.

“We could easily go $6 million or $7 million if we wanted to bring all of our roads up to high standard,” he said. “Just paving over these poor roads that we have is wasting our money.”

Keach said it costs $60,000 to $80,000 to repave one mile of road. The town has 18 miles of paved road, which Keach is able to repave at a rate of 2 miles per year.

“In another year, I hope we’ll have a plan,” said Mary-Ann Haxton, who also serves on the comprehensive plan committee.

In all, voters appropriated $992,473.32 for the 2004-2005 budget. The 35 residents re-elected Selectman Mark Silber, Keach, and school board member Lana Pratt.