DIXFIELD — The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted Monday evening to pare $5,500 from the two articles that were defeated at the June 10 referendum ballot.

Residents voted down the Executive Department budget by a vote of 206-217, while the Code Enforcement budget was voted down 192-210.

The proposed Executive Department budget was $297,667, which was $18,325 less than this fiscal year, while the Code Enforcement budget was $15,515, or $750 less than this fiscal year.

Before the selectmen began discussing where they should make reductions, Town Manger Carlo Puiia pointed out that any defeated budget item would revert to the prior fiscal year’s budget numbers unless the selectmen decided to submit a revised number.

“In this case, the budget items that were defeated actually had higher numbers last year, so it would probably be unwise to revert to last year’s numbers,” Puiia said.

Puiia added that there would be a slight cost to holding an additional referendum, due to the the cost of paying the ballot clerks and printing warrants.

“One thing about this vote is that you can adjust the hours,” Puiia said. “Because this is a local vote, you don’t have to have the vote go until 8 p.m. You can go from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., or even 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s completely up to you.”

Chairman Scott Belskis pointed out that in the Executive Department budget that was shot down, four of the five selectmen agreed to deny payment for serving as selectmen.

Selectman Norman Mitchell, who was voted in as the new board member during the June 10 vote, said that he would decline as well, which would result in a $1,300 reduction.

Puiia said that if the board reached a specific number that they wanted the Executive Department budget reduced to, he would look through the line items and cut money as needed to reach the new number.

Belskis said that he would like to see the Executive Department budget cut by $4,500.

“That’s the most that I’d be comfortable with,” Belskis added.

While looking for additional areas that could be cut, Selectman Hart Daley pointed out that $500 could be cut from the selectmen’s contingency fund, while the mileage reimbursement budget could be reduced from $1,350 to $1,000.

The board subsequently voted to cut $4,500 from the Executive Department budget, with a new bottom line of $293,167, or $22,825 less than the previous fiscal year’s budget.

When discussion turned to the Code Enforcement budget, Mitchell said that he has heard from residents that they voted against the budget because they thought the code enforcement officer, who is also serving as the director of Public Works, was receiving two salaries, or “double dipping.”

Puiia clarified to residents in the audience that the Code Enforcement budget covered the salaries of the animal control officer, the health officer and the code enforcement officer, among other things.

“I think some people get to the bottom line, see the $15,515, and assume that the code enforcement officer is receiving that much money,” Puiia said. “It’s a misconception, but an honest misconception. The truth is, the code enforcement officer salary is just a portion of the overall Code Enforcement budget.”

Daley suggested that the budget be relabeled as the Health, Animal and Code Enforcement budget to prevent confusion.

Belskis pointed out mileage reimbursement and the health officer salary as areas where money could be cut.

The board later voted 5-0 to cut $1,000 from the Code Enforcement budget.

In other business, the Board of Selectmen voted 3-1 to approve Belskis and Daley as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com