PARIS — Selectmen approved most of the town meeting warrant Monday and deleted one article.

Article 14, which allows selectmen to borrow in anticipation of taxes, is on the annual warrant each year. The article is unnecessary, the town manager told selectmen, and selectmen already have the authority to borrow, with or without permission from taxpayers.

“Technically, you don’t even have to have it on the warrant,” Town Manager Amy Bernard explained. “It’s a courtesy to let people know.”

Selectman Ryan Lorrain made a motion to delete Article 14 from the warrant. The motion passed 4-1, with Chairman Sam Elliot voting against it.

There was also discussion of switching to a quarterly tax payment system and its potential effects on voters. Article 8 would allow the town to change the dates to the 15th of August, November, February and May of each year.

The measure is meant to smooth out the town’s cash flow and reduce the town’s use of short-term loans.

There had been previous discussion of lowering the interest rate and setting a waiver for people who couldn’t pay in August so that the change wouldn’t hurt people who were unaware of the change or had trouble with the four payments. Bernard reported Monday that she discussed it with the Maine Municipal Association and learned that this wasn’t possible.

Bernard said the town mostly charges the same interest for all four tax collection dates, and grace periods must be the same length for each collection date.

Selectmen said they still supported the change. “It’s still something we need to put on the ballot and pursue,” Selectman Robert Wessels said.

Selectmen voted unanimously to put the article on the ballot.

The board held off voting on Article 31, which appropriates general revenues to offset the 2013-14 tax rate. Bernard said the information needed to set the amount will likely be available by the May 28 meeting.

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