VASSALBORO — Residents voted to approve the $2.02 million town budget in its entirety with little discussion Monday evening at the annual Town Meeting.

The municipal budget is 3.09 percent higher than last year’s, mostly due to an increase in paving and public works costs. The town is trying to catch up on paving projects that have fallen behind in recent years, according to Town Manager Mary Sabins.

The town is also projecting a revenue increase of more than 11 percent, Sabins said, so the municipal tax burden should be about $100,000 less than last year.

Voters also approved the $7.38 million school budget, which is an increase of 0.13 percent over last year’s budget, in one combined vote with some discussion about the risk involved.

The school’s total revenue is down by about $329,000, mostly due to a decrease in the state subsidy, which local taxpayers are picking up.

Schools across Maine are struggling with potentially massive cuts to state revenue after Gov. Paul LePage recommended 48 changes to the funding formula for essential programs and services.

Selectman Lauchlin Titus said the cuts to the school budget were “pretty significant.” Most people think that the governor’s budget won’t pass as it is now, he added, so the school should receive additional revenues.

Voters also approved the application of any additional state revenues toward reducing the local taxpayers’ burden.

The town will vote on the approved school budget at the June 13 referendum.

Voters elected William Browne, Donald Breton, Peggy Schaffer, Eddie Scholz and Phil Landry to the budget committee for two-year terms.

Residents approved money for a relatively new town committee aiming to improve the lives of seniors in the area.

The FAVOR, or Friends Advocating for Vassalboro’s Older Residents, committee will receive $1,000, mainly for advertising purposes.

Voters also approved $1,350 for a bus transit service provided by the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, or KVCAP, with no discussion.

Transportation was indicated as a key need in surveys circulated by the FAVOR committee, which worked with the towns of Winslow and China to contract with the nonprofit.

The Kennebec Explorer program is available to everyone in the general public, unlike some of the nonprofit’s other services that are restricted to MaineCare patients. Riders in Vassalboro will pay $1.50 for the service, which will operate on a demand-response model and won’t follow fixed routes.

The town also approved to spend $28,700, which was previously raised, to renovate the China Lake boat launch with assistance from the state.

Voters also approved an article allowing the town to apply for a grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation with no discussion.

Sabins said she applied for a grant of about $50,000 for a cemetery mapping project in the past, but was rejected. She was encouraged to apply again, though, she said.

The project would create maps and databases with information from the town’s 26 cemeteries. The computerization would help Sabins when talking with people about family plots and open burial lots.

Residents voted to exercise the town’s “put option” to sell its share in the Penobscot Energy Recovery Co., or PERC. The town’s share, which it would receive when its contract with PERC expires in 2018, is estimated at $13,514.

Vassalboro has chosen to stay with the Municipal Review Committee, which represents the solid waste interests of towns across Maine. The committee has been working with Maryland-based Fiberight to build a new plant in Hampden.

Voters also approved updating the town’s shoreland zoning ordinance to match changes that came from the state Department of Environmental Protection last year.

Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239

mstamour@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @madelinestamour

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