CHESTERVILLE – Voters at town meeting threw their support behind the town’s fire department by approving $8,850 towards paying the crew for the first time and added $3,000 more than the $19,000 requested for general maintenance.
In elections, Orin Knowles, II, won a seat at the board of selectmen over incumbent Craig Strickney by a vote of 74 to 55.
In the 57 articles voters considered, the fire department’s request for pay brought good discussion. Town Clerk Patricia Gordon said now that voters approved paying the fire department crew, it will be up to selectmen to decide how it will be dispersed.
Proposed changes to the shoreland zoning ordinance to bring the town’s policies in line with the state’s, was itemized in a handful of articles, which all passed, except Article 52 pertaining to pesticide guidelines. The article didn’t past muster with voters after a typo was discovered. Gordon said the wording will need to changed before it goes before voters again.
The town budget, without the county tax total known yet, would be slightly more than $411,000, for a nearly 4 percent increase from the 2008 budget.
