Haverhill — The town will auction off nearly 50 properties on June 23, but voters decided on Saturday at Town Meeting that Powder House Hill will not be among them.

The dozens of properties were taken by deed from delinquent taxpayers as part of the town’s aggressive effort to recoup unpaid taxes that several voters expressed frustration over during last year’s town meeting.

During Saturday’s meeting at Haverhill Middle School, Selectboard Chairman Wayne Fortier said many of the properties have no houses on them and others contain wetlands. Such sites don’t have significant monetary value, unlike Powder House Hill, which would have been included in the auction under Article 12 of the town’s warrant.

“Someone could bid 50 bucks for it,” said Fortier, arguing that auctioning off the historic five-acre property may shortchange the town.

The undeveloped land, which once served as a burial ground, got its name by housing a granite powder magazine during the War of 1812. The building’s remains, along with those of the deceased, were moved to a nearby cemetery on Ladd Street during the late 1840s.

Mike Marshall, a 30-year resident of Haverhill Corner, concurred with Fortier.

“It would be like throwing a diamond necklace into a junk jewelry box to be sold at a yard sale,” Marshall said.

Haverhill landowner Bob Clay disagreed, asserting that an auction format would do the sought-after property justice. Clay acknowledged his desire to bid for the land and said there were others of the same mind.

“What I plan to do with it might be different than what (other potential buyers) would do,” Clay said.

Michael Lavoie said the Powder House Hill property should be taken off the backs of taxpayers, who already carry a heavy burden.

“Nothing’s been done to it in 150 years,” Lavoie said, arguing that funds gained from selling the property could be diverted to other important projects, such as the Lily Pond Road repair effort. “Ask the people that live on (the road) where they want the money spent.”

The article was defeated, 95-50.

The result of Saturday’s vote puts off for now a decision on whether or not Haverhill will sell or retain Powder House Hill, on account of its historic and aesthetic value.

The next step will be for the town to survey the land to the tune of $8,000. Those appropriations were approved in Article 13.

Many hope the surveyor’s report will help settle a dispute over Right of Way to the property. Where the R.O.W. lies will have a considerable impact on the value of Powder House Hill, and on Lavoie, who lives next to the plot and contends the R.O.W. doesn’t go through his property, which some claim it does.

The Powder House Hill to auction article was the only defeated measure of the morning. It was also one of two articles settled by paper ballot. The other was Article 27, which asked voters to decide on allowing or prohibiting keno, a lottery-like gambling game, in Haverhill.

The measure, which passed by a vote of 77-54, will give the town’s half-dozen or so pouring establishments the option to install keno machines if they so choose.

Rick Ladd, Haverhill’s state representative, who also chairs the House Education Committee, explained how keno’s proceeds break down: One percent will go to health and human services (help for addicted gamblers), 8 percent to the licensee (restaurant/bar) and the remaining 92 percent will be earmarked for the state’s educational trust fund.

Funds raised by the game are expected to give all New Hampshire towns — whether they sanction keno or not — $1,100 toward the education of each Kindergarten student in 2019 fiscal year, which begins July 1 for the state, according to Ladd.

If keno funds increase, the supplement could increase to $1,800 by FY 2020.

The 60 full-day kindergarteners in Haverhill cost $3,636 each to educate. Half of that amount is currently covered by local taxpayers, but the advent of keno is scheduled to bring relief.

Some voters objected to the game on moral grounds, uncomfortable with the connection between gambling and education, but in Ladd’s view, “It’s not any different than Powerball.”

Other major articles that passed Saturday included $4,862,075 toward the 2018 Operating Budget, $182,163 for Lily Pond Road Reconstruction and a $150,000 contribution to the Road Construction/Reconstruction Capital Reserve.

Darwin Clogston defeated Michael Bonanno in the Selectboard race, which was settled by ballot voting on Tuesday.

Adam Boffey can be reached at boffeyadam@gmail.com.