LINCOLN — Lincoln residents approved all articles as warned at their town meeting Monday evening; nevertheless, the meeting ran well past 10 p.m.
In the hot-button topic of the night, voters approved a bond up to $59,000 to renovate the existing town office; the measure won by a margin of 223 to 161.
Residents also approved a 2016 spending plan for Lincoln Community School of $2.17 million. That sum is 6.6 percent higher than the budget voters approved last year. Voters across the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union rejected a proposed $14.06 million spending plan for Mount Abraham Union High School.
Citizens at the Lincoln meeting approved a highway budget proposal that calls for spending of $994,429, of which $837,579 would be raised through taxation. The spending sum is less than 1 percent smaller than the budget for the present fiscal year, but the amount to be raised in taxes is $60,859 (or 7.8 percent) more.
Voters also said “yes” to general fund spending up to $325,546, of which $240,861 would be raised through taxes. The general fund proposal is $6,694 (or 2 percent) less than the spending plan voters approved last year; and it represents about 3 percent less to be raised by taxes.
Another article changed the two one-year selectboard terms to two years in duration, beginning in 2016.
There were no contested races on the ballot. Incumbent Town Clerk Sally Ober and Treasurer Lisa Truchon were re-elected to their posts. Incumbent Selectmen Paul Forlenza and Will Sipsey also won re-election, with 332 and 309 votes, respectively.
James Needham successfully mounted a write-in campaign for a one-year selectboard seat with 60 votes, while Ari Kirshenbaum earned enough write-in votes (38) for an open three-year seat on the Lincoln Community School Board.
Incumbent Christie Sumner and newcomer David “Scott” Bernoudy were tapped for open seats on the Lincoln Community School Board, and voters returned Barry Olson to the Mount Abraham board.
Other winners included: Wendy McIntosh for library trustee, Joshua Otey for first constable, Mark Truax for second constable, George Vince for town agent and grand juror, Will Sipsey for town and school moderator and Nancy Stevens for delinquent tax collector.