Town of Dixfield

DIXFIELD — Voters on Tuesday approved a $2.46 million municipal budget for 2019-20.

Town Clerk Teresa Hemingway said Wednesday that while all of the budget articles passed, voters turned down two articles on marijuana storefronts.

An article to authorize the operation of additional medical marijuana retail establishments within the town was defeated 143-126.

And an article to authorize the operation of adult-use marijuana establishments within the town was defeated 148-122.

Town Manager Dustin Starbuck said the town budget for 2019-20 reflects a 2.5% to current spending. He said all town department budgets are in line with last year.

The budget includes:

• Updating town technology with seven new computers and a server.

• Increasing the road reserve budget by 4% so the town can complete work on Hall Hill Road. It will cost an estimated $151,000 to finish the lower portion of the road and pave to where the pavement ends.

• $19,000 for three self-contained breathing apparatus for the East Dixfield Fire Department. These will replace handed-down air packs that are more than 30 years old.

Townspeople also voted their preference for the current system of voting on municipal issues at the polls or by absentee ballot, rather then returning to the pre-2014 system of only voting for municipal items at the annual town meeting. The measure passed 222-49 in a nonbinding vote.

Voters also elected incumbent Norine Clarke and Ricky Davis to fill two three-year openings on the Select Board. Clarke received 172 votes and Davis 116, while Dan Mitchell got 56 votes as a write-in candidate.

Barbara Chow, the only candidate for the Regional School Unit 56 board of directors, was re-elected to a three-year term. There was no candidate for another three-year opening on the board.

bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net