Warner voters approve $3.52 million operating budget and a slate of warrant articles

Warner — Voters at the Town of Warner’s annual meeting on May 1, 2021 approved a $3,524,207 operating budget for fiscal 2021 and passed a series of related warrant articles covering capital reserves and policy changes.

Moderator read Article 5, which proposed the $3,524,207 operating budget; Mike Cutting presented the budget. The article was moved, seconded and approved by hand vote. Several warrant articles to fund capital reserves and special projects also passed by hand vote, including allocations for property revaluation ($15,000), police vehicles ($15,000), fire and rescue vehicles ($75,000), fire‑fighter equipment ($26,500), highway road construction ($200,000), highway equipment ($125,000), bridge repair/replacement ($50,000), library renovation ($47,000), transfer station project ($30,000) and smaller reserves for contingency and records preservation.

Article 19, which would place $10,000 into the Transportation Improvement Grants Matching Fund, was moved forward and — after a request for a paper ballot by an attendee — was decided by ballot. The moderator recorded the tally as Yes 62, No 26; the article passed. Article 20, establishing an Agricultural Commission under RSA 673:4‑b with specified membership drawn from the Select Board, Planning Board, Conservation Commission and at‑large members, also went to paper ballot and passed (Yes 71, No 13).

The meeting recorded detailed ballot results for elections and for several zoning petition articles (see separate coverage of zoning items). The Moderator moved to restrict reconsideration on Articles 5, 6, 7, 19 and 20; that motion was made and passed by hand vote.

The meeting adjourned at 11:01 a.m. Minutes were submitted by Michele L. Courser, Warner Town Clerk.