CANAAN — Residents slashed more than $180,000 from the municipal budget at Saturday’s Town Meeting after taking advantage of a state law that limits municipal property tax increases.

Maine’s municipal property tax levy limit, which became law in 2005, restricts the amount of money municipalities can raise through property taxes to an amount that is equal to the growth of statewide personal income plus local property development in the municipality.

Canaan residents cast their secret ballots Saturday in a vote on Article 5 at Town Meeting at Canaan Elementary School in Canaan. Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

Canaan residents show their votes Saturday during the Town Meeting at Canaan Elementary School in Canaan. Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

Town officials on Saturday asked voters to vote on making an exception to the law and allowing them to raise additional money; but when it was rejected, the voters had to cut the $180,458 from the proposed budget, a process that took them nearly three hours and was the subject of much debate.

The proposal to exceed the state limit was rejected 41-32 in a written-ballot vote; and after much cutting, the final municipal budget was set at $1,138,387, which is $37,056 more than the budget approved at the 2015 Town Meeting.

“I think it’s important we put aside money for things, but whether people want to do that this year or next year, it doesn’t really matter,” First Selectman Dan Harriman said. He said the budget proposed originally would have increased taxes by about $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value, but it will be less than that after the cuts made Saturday.

Among the things voters eliminated were $25,000 for a contingency fund, something the town has never had in the past but that was proposed in this year’s budget; $30,000 out of a proposed $175,000 for road maintenance; $35,000 out of a proposed $68,000 for a new plow truck reserve account; and $50,000 for a reserve account to build an addition to the town garage.

There were also smaller items, such as a $2,000 grant-matching request from the Fire Department that was eliminated and $1,700 to refinish the floors at the Canaan Historical Society, located in a 150-year-old former one-room schoolhouse.

Residents also hemmed and hawed over granting the town librarian a $1,200 raise — something that finally was approved — and whether to make a cut to a proposed $10,000 for a new veterans memorial in town.

They also rejected small increases that area charities had asked for and instead approved the same amounts they had granted to those charities in 2015.

“That’s the way democracy works,” said resident Dale Durrill, a member of the veterans memorial committee. “We came out with what we asked for (the $10,000 for the memorial) because I know it’s something a lot of people were for. They want to see it get done.”

Residents voted twice on different proposed amounts of funding for the memorial before finally agreeing on the third try to grant the committee their requested $10,000. Durrill said that had they rejected the original amount, the memorial still would have gotten done.

“It’s something that has to be done, so we would have had to raise the money ourselves; but it would still happen,” he said.

Some cuts came more easily, such as the proposed $50,000 for a town garage addition, which Road Commissioner Michael Robinson Jr. said the town doesn’t need and encouraged residents to reject.

Others, such as the $1,700 to refurbish the historical society building, did not come so easily. Town Librarian Karen Fournier urged residents to approve the $1,700, saying that the building’s floors were “once again down to bare wood,” and that given that the historical society only recently moved into the building and it is not yet filled with artifacts, this would be a good time to do it.

Some officials, such as Fire Chief Troy Bowden, said they were willing to sacrifice small things in their budgets to meet residents’ requests for lower taxes. In giving up the $2,000 matching grant, Bowden said, “we can get by and cut that portion if we need to. I’d rather everybody take a little bit of a beating.”

Elections in Canaan are scheduled for Monday. The only contested race is for road commissioner. Ray Judkins is challenging Robinson, the incumbent. In uncontested races, Garrett Buzzell and Dan Harriman are running for re-election to the Board of Selectmen. Dixie Ring is running for a seat on the board of directors of School Administrative District 54.

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Canaan Town Hall.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

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