STARKSBORO — Residents in Starksboro on Saturday approved all municipal spending items as well as an amended budget for Robinson Elementary School at their annual meeting.
Voters said “yes” to a general fund budget that expends $740,210; after non-tax revenue of $209,050 and a previous surplus of $29,269, a total of $501,891 in taxes will be required. That total spending figure is 1.96 percent less than the budget for the present fiscal year.
Other spending proposals approved by voters include: An article asking voters to place $40,626 into the Fire Equipment Reserve Fund and another that would place $87,748 into the Road Equipment Reserve Fund. Residents also agreed to appropriate $26,100 to pay for the 2013-2014 costs of the Starksboro Public Library.
Two articles on the ballot involved a solar array on Parsonage Road. Voters consented to appropriate one-fifth of the purchase price of the array, or $11,160, and also agreed to purchase six solar trackers installed at that location for $55,800.
At the school meeting, voters increased the sum of next year’s Robinson Elementary School budget by $136,506 to $3.01 million and approved that figure. Residents said the amount of the amendment equaled the salaries of several staffers due to be laid off if the proposed spending plan were approved.
The approved budget, as amended is 13.4 percent higher than the spending plan voters approved last year.
There was one contested race on the ballot. Nancy Cornell ousted sitting Robinson Elementary School board chair Bonita Bedard, 248 to 99, for a three-year seat. Bedard had served on the board for 13 years, while Cornell had previously served on the board in the early 1990s.
Voters decided to keep Cheryl Estey as clerk and Celine Coon as treasurer. Incumbent selectboard member Susan Jefferies was also re-elected.
Other winning candidates included Jim Runcie for town agent, Amy McCormick for tax collector, Dennis W. Casey and Kelly Norris for two seats on the planning commission, Mark Lucas for library trustee, Norman Cota for lister, and Daniel Dubenetsky for town and school moderator.