NEW VINEYARD — Voters reduced the snowplowing and sanding budget by $15,000 Saturday at the Town Meeting, saying they didn’t want to pay for increases in the insurance of the town’s contractor.

Residents approved a $171,000 budget, reduced from the $186,000 originally requested to pay for the winter road maintenance services contracted by Doug Nile. Chairman Fay Adams, saying the money was increased to pay for Nile’s increased insurance rates, voted against the reduction.

About 30 voters gathered Saturday morning in Smithfield Hall to approve raising $426,021 from taxation in the coming year, down 4 percent from the year before.

During the two hour meeting, voters approved the articles with few changes and little discussion.

The town received $3,000 in the past year from the dissolution of the Sandy River Recycling Association, which split its assets among member towns. Voters decided at the meeting to use the money to reduce the amount raised from taxes for the transfer station from $9,000 to $6,000.

Incumbent Niilo Sillanpaa was re-elected unopposed to the Board of Selectmen for a three-year term.

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The voters agreed to use $50,000 from surplus to reduce the tax commitment for 2015 further.

Residents also appropriated $10,000 to help pay for demolishing a structure on property the town acquired next to the Town Office and the Fire Department. The selectmen said in the warrant that they want to use the property as parking space for the Town Office and the Fire Department.

Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252

kschroeder@centralmaine.com


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