Strong residents slightly lowered the town budget from the original proposal after residents voted down $2,850 in requests from area nonprofit groups.

The requests from area charities were among $565,059 in requests, $128 less than the year before, at the Town Meeting Saturday at the Forster Memorial Building. The final budget approved was $562,209.

The town portion of the property tax rate is not expected to increase, but the residents won’t know whether the total property tax rate will increase until county and School Administrative District 58 budgets are approved.

The property tax rate for 2013 was $12.80 per $1,000 of valuation or $1,280 on a $100,000 property. Selectmen also approved taking $250,000 from surplus to reduce the tax commitment.

Selectman Milton Baston said voters approved $10,000 to repair the Town Office roof, as well as a $1,300 request from the Porter Lake Association to buy a float.

The American Red Cross, Safe Voices, Work First, Kennebec Behavioral Health and Maine Public Broadcasting were denied a total of $1,850 in requests for funding. Community Concepts, which did not request money last year, was denied its request for $1,000.

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The only nonprofit group granted town money was the United Methodist Economic Ministry, which received $1,500, Baston said.

For the next three years, residents will be paying $20,000 for a new plow truck, after giving selectmen permission to buy a new truck costing up to $175,000. The nearly $60,000 loan will be coupled with $116,700 from a truck replacement account.

Two new directors were also elected to the School Administrative District school board: Lois Barker and write-in candidate Loretta Deming.

Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252kschroeder@centralmaine.com


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