ORWELL — Officials in Orwell expected a lot more discussion on a proposal to spend $160,000 on a new town truck than they got at Tuesday morning’s town meeting. But after folks asked a few questions about whether the old one could be fixed (too expensive, they were told) and if townspeople would be called on in the next year or two to put some money into vehicle replacement for the fire department or rescue squad (yes, that is quite likely), they approved the special allocation for a tandem dump truck to replace an 11-year-old truck currently used by the Orwell road crew.
In the only other bit of drama on Town Meeting Day, Selectman Bob Fields was re-elected to a two-year term after being challenged for that spot by James A. Oldenburg Sr. and Daniel Redondo.
Those running unopposed who won town offices included Walker James (three-year selectboard term), Elizabeth “Betty” Walker (one year as town clerk), Mark S. Young (one year as treasurer and trustee of public funds), Alyson Eastman (three years, school board), Sarah Tetzlaff (two years, school director), Stephen P. James (three years, lister), Barbara LaDue (five years, cemetery commissioner), Louis Hall (one year, first constable and town agent), Allen Ager (one year, second constable) and Michael R. Audet as town and school moderator.
Residents approved a $978,950 municipal budget by voice vote. It is only $4,000 larger than the spending plan voters approved last year.
At Monday evening’s annual school meeting, the Orwell Village School spending plan, pegged at $1,942,025 (a 7.3 percent over the figure approved for the current school year) was approved by voice vote as presented.