BETHEL — Forty people approved a municipal budget of nearly $3.4 million in just 33 minutes at town meeting Wednesday evening.
“It went quicker than last year’s,” Town Manager Jim Doar said of that 45-minute meeting. He quipped that he hoped they’d beat Oxford’s 22-minute town meeting this past Saturday, but moderator Harry “Dutch” Dresser said he couldn’t read all of the articles that fast.
The municipal budget of $3,399,805 is up $254,879 over last year.
Town Clerk Christen Mason said there was little discussion as voters approved every article, following selectmen’s recommendations, not the Budget Committee’s.
Both Doar and Mason said the 32-article warrant lacked controversial items.
Among the money articles, voters agreed to raise and appropriate $207,646 to operate the Fire Department, $303,000 for police services, $189,345 to operate the ambulance service, $398,296 for solid waste management, and $546,089 for Public Works.
Afterward, selectmen held an organizational meeting, welcoming new board members Pat Carter and Lloyd Sweetser, who were elected at Tuesday’s polls.
Selectman Stanley Howe was re-elected chairman and Robert Everett was elected vice chairman.
The board then accepted Carter’s resignation from the Board of Appeals.
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