MOSCOW — Residents quickly approved the 2012 budget Monday, increasing overall taxation just $229 from last year.

The only change residents made at the annual Town Meeting was to lower the amount for the Upper Kennebec Valley Ambulance Service, because its budget was altered after the town warrant was printed.

The revised amount of $52,282 for the ambulance service brought the town’s total approved budget to $446,290, which is an increase of $10,089 from last year’s budget.

The amount to be raised by taxation, $330,946, however, is just $229 more.

“Our Town Meeting went very smoothly,” said First Selectman Donald Beane. “It lasted less than an hour including a break for refreshments halfway through. All articles in the town meeting warrant passed with few questions and little discussion.”

Residents approved $30,000 for maintaining roads and bridges, $78,000 for snow plowing and sanding, $50,107 for the transfer station and $44,500 for town officers’ salaries. They also agreed to buy a culvert steam cleaner for $3,700.

And they approved using $20,600 in grant money and $15,000 from surplus to resurface and widen a portion of Donigan Road.

Last year Moscow contributed almost $21,000 less, at a total of $31,581, to the ambulance service. The agency is seeing fewer calls, more patients without insurance and an increased cost of fuel and supplies.

The former co-coordinator, Laurie Laweryson, was charged with stealing money from the service for allegedly using its gas card to buy fuel for her personal use and fired Feb. 13 by the board of directors.

About 40 people attended the meeting at Moscow Elementary School. Re-elected without opposition were Town Clerk Dorothy Farrell, Second Selectman Michael Staples, Road Commissioner Forrest Rollins and school board members Linda Hunnewell and Adrienne Mathieu.

Erin Rhoda — 612-2368

erhoda@centralmaine.com