LEICESTER — After a little discussion from the floor of town meeting, Leicester voters on Monday evening approved a municipal spending plan of $595,192, which represents an increase of $20,908, or 7 percent, over the $574,283 spending plan OK’d last year.
The municipal budget was warned in two parts: general expenses and highway expenses. The selectboard had asked for $272,856 for general expenses with $235,338 to be raised by taxes, and $322,335 for highway expenses with $241,857 to be raised by taxes. Compared to the budgets approved last year, these figures represent slight increases of $900 in general expenses and $20,000 in highway expenses.
Also at Monday’s meeting, residents OK’d spending an additional $20,000 for road paving, and $20,000 for future culvert and bridge improvements.
In Australian ballot voting on Tuesday, Leicester approved a $1,885 appropriation for Addison County Transit Resources by a tally of 248-58, and a $350 appropriation for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, 253-52.
Those who attended Monday’s meeting had a discussion about how Leicester Central School will be integrated into the broader Otter Valley Unified Union school district, formed earlier this winter under the state’s new Act 46 school consolidation law. Residents were curious about the benefits and costs of the merged school, and also about the mechanics of the merger.
Voters in six area towns overwhelmingly approved a budget for the new OVUU School District. The $22,604,806 OVUU spending plan passed by a tally of 1,920-846 by voters in Brandon, Pittsford, Goshen, Leicester, Whiting and Sudbury.
Ten town officers were elected in uncontested elections, including two selectboard members (Diane Benware for three years and Ken Young for two), lister (Amy Quenneville, three years), Auditor (Donna Pidgeon, three years), Delinquent tax collector (Beth Ripley, one year), first constable (Jeff McDonough) and second constable (Mike Rakowitz).
As in the rest of the state, Leicester Democrats heavily favored Bernie Sanders (153 votes) over Hillary Clinton (28) in presidential primary voting. On the Republican side, Leicester went for Donald Trump (52 votes) over John Kasich (27), Marco Rubio (17), Ted Cruz (16) and Ben Carson (3).