BRIDPORT — Bridport residents at their town meeting this week endorsed all the items on its town meeting agenda, including the purchase — for up to $140,000 — of a new backhoe and associated equipment, using fund balance from the community’s Department of Public Works budget.

Dusty Huestis prevailed in a write-in campaign for constable and all the other open positions didn’t garner enough write-ins for a win.

There were no contested municipal elections on this year’s Bridport ballot. Incumbent Selectmen Tim Howlett and Bob Sunderland ran unopposed for terms of three and two years, respectively.

Also OK’d by Bridport voters:

• A combined fiscal year 2027 general fund/highway budget of $1,869,126, which is up 5.8% from the $1,765,090 residents approved for the current year.
• 22 separate funding requests from area nonprofit agencies that serve Bridport residents, as well as requests to exempt both the Bridport Grange and Bridport Historical Society from taxation for another five years.

Bridport residents on Tuesday, March 3, also cast ballots on a proposed fiscal year 2027 Addison Central School District budget of $53 million, a proposed FY27 Patricia Hannaford Career Center budget of $6,271,915; a referendum seeking formal closure of Ripton Elementary School; and a series of uncontested elections for the ACSD board.