HARTLAND — Voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting approved a $1.7 million municipal budget which represents a $53,135 decrease from the budget approved last year.

Residents sailed through a 31-article warrant in just over an hour, approving all requests with little discussion.

Town Manager Christopher Littlefield said after the meeting that officials will not know whether or how the town’s tax rate of $17.65 per $1,000 worth of assessed valuation will change until the school and county numbers are finalized. He said he expects the tax rate to be announced in July.

“We have been told to expect a 2 1/2% to 3% increase on the school budget and I want to say it’s a 4% increase on the county budget,” Littlefield said.

He said town officials were able to reduce the municipal budget because of how the budget for roads worked out.

“We have partnerships going on with Canaan to do some work; we also have different grants for culverts so we were able to keep our budget down,” Littlefield said.

Town Clerk Holly Bubar announced results of Friday elections, saying incumbent Selectman Jerry Martin defeated challenger Christopher Ring for a three-year term as selectman, assessor and overseer of the poor. Martin received 194 votes to Ring’s 120. Selectmen John Hikel and Mark Brooks’ terms are up in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Incumbent budget committee members George Greenwood, Shirley Humphrey and Patricia Martin were returned to office for three-year terms. They received 168, 248 and 177 votes, respectively.

About 60 people turned out for Saturday’s town meeting, moderated by former selectman Hadley Buker.

Voters approved taking up to $275,000 from surplus to purchase a new plow truck and use $100,000 fr0m that fund, also known as the undesignated fund, to help reduce the 2024-25 tax, or mill, rate. They also authorized selectmen to apply $10,000 of that fund to the fire department reserve account.

Voters approved $646,500 for public works; $197,825 for sanitation; $87,150 for recreation; $431,340 for general government; $299,100 for protection; and $14,500 for health and welfare.

The last warrant article asked voters if they would authorize selectmen and Littlefield to negotiate a long-term lease with the Hartland Historical Society for use of a piece of town-owned property adjacent to the pool on Elm Street.

Stacy Halford of the Historical Society said the organization has been raising funds and wants to construct a building that would house “fabulous” historical items that are being stored in various places all over town. The society also has an option on a building in town, but that is not set in concrete. The society’s intent, she said, would be to move forward with one of those two plans.

Halford said that basically, the society was asking voters to give the town permission to go into potential negotiations for use of the property. Voters handily approved the request.

They also voted to adopt a board of appeals ordinance, as well as an amended building and property maintenance ordinance. Littlefield explained that the town adopted the ordinance last year and the amendment was to include in the document rules and laws the state introduced regarding additional dwelling units and tiny homes. The state requires the language to be in the local ordinance, he said.

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