WEST PARIS — Fifty-nine voters attended the 56th annual town meeting Saturday, passing a $1 million budget but defeating an ordinance that would regulate the maintenance of properties.

The hour-and-a-half meeting took place in the Agnes Gray School gymnasium on Main Street. It was moderated by Woodstock Town Manager Vern Maxfield.

Voters said enforcing a property maintenance ordinance would be too stringent and agreed to stick to the state’s dangerous building statute regulating “unhealthy” and “unsafe” properties. Selectmen agreed, saying the town didn’t necessarily need the ordinance.

“I don’t think we are ready for it,” said Selectman Dennis Henderson.

“We get complaints already,” said one resident, about a majority of West Paris’ properties. “We don’t need an ordinance to get complaints.”

Selectman Wade Rainey said the ordinance was requested by a resident nearly a year ago to prevent “unsafe, unsanitary and/or nuisance conditions” of properties. He worried that without an ordinance, residents would start to deface their properties more than they already have.

In other action, voters approved $70,142 for Fire Department operations; $12,000 for streetlights; $101,089 for the disposal of solid waste, the town’s zero-sort recycling program and transfer station operations; and $309, 684 for Highway Department operations for 2013-14.

The breakdown of the highway budget includes $54,800 for garage operations and maintenance of equipment, $114,994 for winter operations and $139,890 for summer operations.

White said the money would be used toward maintenance of half a mile of roads, including High Street and repairing its bridge.

“It’s been nothing but problems for us,” Town Manager John White said of the bridge. He said money also would be put toward fixing portions of Route 219. The town will also address “slushy” sidewalks and apply more salt to High Street, as recommended by voters.

“We’re working on it,” White said.

Voters also raised and appropriated $31,365 for the West Paris Library; $6,672 for animal control; $2,800 for mowing and new flags at town cemeteries and $5,000 for Old Home Days.

In response to a citizen’s question about whether more money is being appropriated for animal control this year due to increased calls, White said the town has one animal control officer who receives a stipend and occasionally calls in mutual aid from other towns.

He said an increase in mileage as well as switching to a new, more expensive shelter drove up costs in the ACO budget.

Voters elected Randy Jones as selectman, assessor and overseer of the poor for a three-year-term, Greg Inman as Water District director for a three-year term, Nick DiConzo as SAD 17 school director for a two-year term and Toby Whitman as SAD 17 school director for a three-year term.