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ATKINSON — A total of 1,775 ballots were cast in Tuesday’s local election, accounting for 32% of Atkinson’s registered voters.
Town officials said 1,667 ballots were cast in person in addition to 108 absentee ballots. Only 24 residents added themselves to the voter checklist and participated for the first time.
Incumbent William Baldwin and newcomer Holly Patterson were the big winners of the selectmen race, topping the ballot with 1,082 votes and 917 votes, respectively. Dave Spero received 509 votes and Harold Morse received 573.
Two open seats on the Budget Committee were won by Sam Butler, 818 votes, and William Smith, 725 votes, over Deborah Cornish and Dave Paquette.
A $5.8 million operating budget was supported by 1,000 votes, with 722 voters rejecting the number. The approval comes after police and fire officials advocated for the figure, saying that services may be cut if the budget was rejected for a second year.
The figure proposed by town officials after negotiations with each department rose from $5.7 million during the annual deliberative session last month, and in the process lost the support of the budget committee.
Additions were made in order to provide health insurance for the incoming town administrator and assistant town administrator; to replace decks at the community center; to cover another laborer at the highway department; to replace an overhead door at the town garage; and for health and welfare needs.
Voters Tuesday also said yes to spending $75,000 for professional services to update the town’s master plan.
The town will also see a full-time police officer join the Atkinson department after an affirmative vote of 969 to 759. Funding the first five months of the position, after an Aug. 1 start date, will cost $32,238.
An additional $15,000 will be spent to hire a consultant to assist the Fire Department in evaluating the current water supply system and creating a long-term rural water supply plan for the entire town.
Firefighters will also be able to update some equipment that is said to be past its service life and no longer effective. One thousand and twelve voters said yes to spending $26,392 on the items, while 286 rejected it.
Atkinson voters made clear a shared interest in joining the Southern New Hampshire Hazardous Materials Mutual Aid District, requiring $11,544 for this year’s fees. Moving forward, the annual dues amount will become part of the Fire Department’s operating budget.
Joining means a technical emergency response team will be ready to deploy in the case of dangerous chemical spills. Atkinson fire officials say they do not have the capabilities in either technical training or equipment for the responsibility.
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Granite Solutions is a reporting project focusing on mental health in New Hampshire from The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.
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