By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

After last year’s revaluation of all the town’s taxable properties, Epsom voters proved fairly frugal on Tuesday, March 14, Election Day.

“I think there is some sticker shock from the last tax bill,” said Selectmen Chairman Mary Frambach.

Both the school and town operating budgets were denied, though voters did approve the purchase of a $66,000 heavy duty vehicle for the town’s highway department.

Town results
Voters denied a request to start a capital reserve fund – and place $50,000 in it – for town office accommodations.

The town has been leasing office space off Blackhall Road. That lease expires in four years, and town officials have been eyeing the new library site as a possible spot for relocation.

Voters denied a request of $100,000 for completion of the new library. Library trustees said the $1 million library project – which has been nearly half paid for through private funds – has jumped to about $1.1 million due to rising construction costs and some significant ledge on the library’s Route 4 site.

“I’m not sure what the ramifications of that (no vote) will be,” said Frambach. “It probably means a lot more volunteer work.”

Voters again chose to keep the road agent’s position as an elected one, rather than having it appointed by selectmen. The road agent position has popped up in several recent elections. Some selectmen have said that appointing the road agent allows the board to ensure it has qualified candidates.

The highway department will be getting a $66,800 heavy duty plowing and sanding vehicle. Voters approved the request 592-371.

Also, voters approved a request to pull $150,000 of capital reserve fund money to improve town roads, though they denied raising $87,000 for work to a mile-and-a-half stretch of Goboro Road.

The proposed $2.4 million municipal operating budget was shot down, leaving the town with a default budget of $2,368,311. It’s the town’s second straight default budget.

“I’m very disappointed,” said Frambach. “When we prepared (the budget) we tried to keep it at about a 5 percent increase across the board.”

School results
For the third time in the last four years, the school district will have to work with a default budget. Voters rejected the proposed $7.1 million operating budget 409-512.

“This won’t be fun,” said school board member Gordon Ellis. “We’re going to have to make some real hard decisions.” The default budget is about $260,000 less than what was proposed.

Voters also denied a salary agreement for Epsom Central School teachers. The deal would have added just over $100,000 to the district’s budget over the next three years, but was shot down 460-509.

“That was a huge surprise to me,” said Ellis. “Historically the town has passed those.”

By just three votes, the electorate did approve a raise for the school’s support staff. The deal will add about $48,000 to the district’s budget over the next two years.

Voters rejected a $65,000 request for two buses to transport Epsom’s Pembroke Academy students. The PA buses were cut from last year’s default budget, and students currently pay to ride. That system will likely continue, said Ellis.

Election results
The winners of the hotly contested race to fill the two open selectman seats were incumbent Joni Kitson, with 388 votes, and newcomer Robert McKechnie, with 403 votes.

Incumbent John Hickey had 362 votes, Rita Graham had 303, John Klose had 142, Richard Verville had 119 and Mike Lindh had 41.