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PARIS — Residents passed the town’s 2017 budget as recommended by the Board of Selectmen at the annual town meeting Saturday.

There were 119 residents present.

The budget is now set at $2,375,870, a $505,788 decrease from the current fiscal year. Town Assessor Jerry Samson said property tax would now be $16.90 per $1,000 of assessed property value, down from the current $18.30.

The largest discussion in the budget came in regards to Article 17, dealing with administrative services.

Budget Committee member Lisa Palmer made a motion to amend Article 17 to $355,362, below the Budget Committee’s recommendation of $384,224. This came after selectmen made a motion to recommend $458,362.

Palmer explained that this would remove one full-time clerk from the payroll, decrease Town Office hours to 36 hours per week and cut the code enforcement officer position to 20 per week.

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Interim Town Manager Sawin Millett noted that even though the administrative portion of the budget shows an approximate $5,000 increase over last year, the current recommendation includes retirement funding for town employees and an increase in insurance that was not in the previous year’s budget.

“Without these items it is actually an approximate $16,000 decrease,” he said.

“People will adapt to changes,” resident Bob Ripley said. He used the town’s previous decision to cut the Transfer Station hours as an example.

Palmer’s motion to approve $355,362 failed by a vote of 44-55.

By a wide margin, voters passed the Board of Selectmen’s recommended amount of $458, 362.

Incoming Selectman Scott Buffington, who supported the reduced budget number, said, “I want the town to be competitive with other towns around us,” and that he wants the town as a whole to be more fiscally responsible.

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Residents unanimously approved $514,131 for the Police Department, an approval coming on the heels of a 617-337 vote Tuesday to keep the Police Department and not contract services with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department.

Interim Police Chief Skip Mowatt told voters Saturday that the department has remained together through recent struggles in taking care of the town, and will work hard on budget cuts as they can going forward.

“I live on Pine Street . . I have chairs out on my front porch, you want to come on over to my house and discuss the Police Department, I’m more than delighted to do it with you,” Mowatt said, noting his door is always open.

With the exception of Article 31, all other articles on the agenda passed with little or no opposition.

Following the recommendation by Millett, voters rejected Article 31, regarding an increase in the property tax levy for LD 1. Millett explained that it is not needed for the incoming budget.

Before the meeting, some residents were recognized for their contributions to the town.

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Republican state Rep. Lloyd “Skip” Herrick recognized Fire Department veterans Brad Frost, Willie Buffington, George Brown and Ben Conant for each contributing over 50 years of service to the Fire Department.

Selectman Victor Hodgkins awarded Sarah Glynn the Spirt of America Award for her years of commitment to the town.

Town Clerk Elizabeth Knox awarded outgoing Selectmen Samuel Elliot and Robert Wessels with commemorative clocks to thank them for their service from 2012-16.

Knox and the entire Board of Selectmen recognized Millet for stepping into the role of interim town manager, and thanked him for his dedication to helping fix issues in the town.

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