With only 10 residents in attendance, there was little controversy over the proposed budget and warrant articles during the Lyndeborough Budget Committee’s presentation of the town warrant and budget hearing Tuesday night, according to Town Administrator Russ Boland.
Following the hearing, the Budget Committee did not make any changes to the proposed budget or warrant articles, moving it forward unchanged onto the warrant for voting at Town Meeting.
The proposed budget for Lyndeborough this year is $2,165,071, only a small increase from last year’s budget. The budget accommodates filling a vacant Highway Department position and plans to use part-time police officers to fill a vacancy in that department.
Other warrant articles proposed this year would use capital reserve funds to purchase a new tanker for the fire department at $290,000, and also use capital reserve funds to purchase a new exhaust system and industrial washing machine for the department.
The fire department also hopes to replace radios, at a cost of $53,000, but will only do so if the department receives a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Assistance to Firefighters, which would pay 95 percent of the cost.
Using $23,000 raised last year and a request for $30,000 this year, the police department plans to purchase a new cruiser.
The highway department is also requesting a new vehicle, a dump truck with a sanding and plow unit, which will cost a total of $170,000. Of that, $30,000 would come from taxation, with the remainder from capital reserve accounts.
The Budget Committee also voted to recommend all articles, including the budget, Boland said.
The town is requesting the following appropriations for capital reserve accounts:
■$32,500 for the 1994 Fire Department Pumper Capital Reserve
■$35,000 for the 2005 Fire Department Pumper Capital Reserve
■$10,000 for the Fire Department Equipment Capital Reserve
■$8,000 for the 2008 Backhoe Capital Reserve
■$5,000 for the 2016 Highway Department 1-ton Capital Reserve
■$12,000 for the Dump Truck Capital Reserve
■$10,000 to establish at Municipal Building Capital Reserve
Voting for town officers, zoning amendments, and any warrant articles required by law will be March 10 at Citizen’s Hall between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. All other warrant articles will be discussed, amended and voted on during Town Meeting on Feb. 14 at Citizen’s Hall, starting at 10 a.m.