POLAND – Residents voted Tuesday to approve a $5,184,844 municipal budget, a decrease of $282,916 from the previous year’s budget.

The reduced municipal budget is expected to bring down the town’s property tax rate, according to the town meeting warrant.

In a break from tradition, residents voted for the annual budget at the polls rather than in person due to Gov. Janet Mills’ emergency order limiting the number of people allowed to gather indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Residents also voted to extend the municipal sewer line northward along Route 26, from Top Gun of Maine to Cyndi’s Dockside restaurant.

Town Manager Matthew Garside told selectmen at their Aug. 18 meeting that if residents approved the article, he would move forward with the engineering of the project so it could go out to bid at the start of next summer.