Canaan
Incumbent chairman Scott Borthwick defeated Jason Lambert, 403-301, while incumbent Al Posnanski fended off Mascoma Valley Regional High School teacher Dave Shinnlinger on a 418-309 vote.
Voters approved, 445-235, an operating budget of $3.57 million, an increase of roughly $100,000 from last year. They also approved seven nonprofit social service agency expenditure requests totaling $42,000.
Appropriations to the agencies passed by varying margins, with the closest vote on a $2,200 allocation to West Central Behavioral Health, which passed on a 368-353 vote. In fiscal year 2016, West Central provided 87 Canaan residents with more than $6,700 in care, according to the warrant article.
The largest margin of approval among the seven requests, 494-252, was for a $12,500 allocation for the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council.
The tax impact of the social service requests, which were not recommended by the Selectboard, will be a $25 increase on the tax bill on a $200,000 home.
The municipal budget includes $16,000 toward a police prosecutor and public safety dispatch services, and a $15,000 bump to health insurance costs.
Voters also decided, 543-196, to apply $160,000 from the highway equipment capital reserve fund to the purchase a new six-wheel dump truck to replace the town’s current 2005 truck.
