DIXFIELD — Voters approved all town budget articles Tuesday, according to Town Clerk Theresa Hemingway.

The 2022-23 municipal budget is $2,476,320, a slight decrease from $2.53 million in 2021-22, according to Town Manager Alicia Conn.

There are also two new members on the Select Board, with Angela Varnum (166 votes) and Janice Merrill (147) winning three-year positions. Also running were Clifford McDonald (102) and incumbent Ricky Davis (86).

Three people ran for the Regional School Unit 56 board of directors, with incumbent Barbara Chow (194) and Elizabeth Kelly (193) winning three-year positions. Challenger Laurie Woodhead had 141 votes.

The actual in-person part of the town meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Community Room at Dirigo High School, to act on warrant articles 1-5. This will be for choosing other town committee members, to set the tax dates and rate, and to authorize the municipal officers to dispose of town-owned property with a value of $100,000 or less.

“We’re doing the in-person meeting after the ballot vote so they will have their new board sitting,” noted Conn.

Regarding the budget decrease, Conn said one factor is that there are no expected large capital purchases.

Last year, the town set aside some money for paving and funding for a new plow truck. That truck is a 2022 International Harvester HV507 truck with plow gear for $170,000. They did that by transferring up to $70,000 from the Public Works Equipment Reserve and up to $100,000 from the undesignated general fund balance.

The town is still waiting to take delivery of that truck. “They keep pushing it back. We’re really hoping to have that for this winter. Our last estimate was October,” said Conn.

She said the town also secured a loan to purchase a pumper truck for the fire department, with the final payment to be made in 2023.

For this year’s budget, Conn said the town incorporated the East Dixfield Fire Department into its fire department truck reserve.

“This kind of prepares us for a fire truck down there, expected sometime over the next couple of years. We haven’t set a timeline yet,” Conn said.

She noted they have not done much road work for the past couple years because money is being put toward the water project to take place on Beedy Brook, Bradley Street and Blayne Street.