Greenville Town Manager John Simko opened the meeting by telling the audience it was his job to make budget recommendations to the Board of Selectmen, and the selectmen's and the Budget Committee's job to make recommendations to the voters, but "it is your budget and you have final say,"

And "say" they did. Despite the fact that the town administration had honed the municipal figures to a lean $1,389,679, a $.37 per thousand mil rate increase, the audience hammered article after article with amendments to reduce the bottom line.

At 10 p.m., a time voters had arbitrarily set to adjourn, 27 of the 49 articles on the warrant had been approved without subtantive change, for a total of $1,461,679 in municipal expenditures.

The action started early when a motion made by Rodney Folsom to allow non-residents and resident non-voters to speak was narrowly defeated by a vote of 86-85.

When article 7 came up, Roland Wortman moved for a written ballot. After much discussion, there was a clear majority, 125-61, to keep the vote at a show of hands.

A motion to reduce the $216,535 total for General Government expenditures to $203,000, a 3 percent increase, was made by Carroll Smith, but did not pass and the original amount was approved.

The 8.6 percent increase over last year's General Government total of $199,256 was due in large part to improvements for the municipal building to bring it into life safety and ADA (handicapped) regulation compliance, according to the town manager.

A similar amendment to reduce the $90,424 Fire Protection budget to $80,424 failed and the amount as written approved.

Paul Johnson's amendment to increase the Police Protection account by $2,900 to allow for purchase of a new cruiser and an amendment to cut it by $50,000 both failed. The article was passed as written at $122,827.

An amendment to article 19 to allow snowmobile trail grooming funds be used to finance a new groomer was approved.

Vern Smith's move to drop Employee Benefits to $100,217 failed; article 25 passed at $106,435.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Moosehead Messenger and is used here with permission."