At the polls on Tuesday, Richard Martell, an Allenstown homeowner, reflected on voting in Town Meeting as an avenue for “keeping control of what’s going on in the community.”

Voters across town rejected the proposed town budget, instead choosing a default operating budget of $5.5 million, which is about $600,000 less than the proposed budget.

“You can’t spend every year on extravagant items you need, no matter how difficult it may be or how bad you need it,” Martell said. “We have to set some kind of budget with the town.”

Ellen Quintal, a former educator, illustrated many property taxpayers’ dilemma heading into voting day. Quintal is a senior citizen on a fixed income. She’s also a homeowner living on a small ranch and paying $9,000 a year in property taxes.

Although she’s never had children in the school system, Quintal said she voted with the majority of voters to approve the $13.9 million school budget because she’s “a big believer in education.” Still, she underscored, “Education is important but getting the property taxes under control is equally important. I don’t want to be forced to move.”

The budget presented 2% increase over the current year and carried a tax impact of nine cents per $1,000 of property valuation. At $14 million, the school’s default budget exceeded the proposed budget this year.

Voters also approved the sale of the Armand R. Dupont and Allenstown Elementary schools, which has been an ongoing saga.

Last week, town administrator John Harrington said two hearings are now required before the select board can vote to acquire the elementary school. The Armand R. Dupont, though, is on a separate timeline, as there are steps associated with first rights of refusal that need to be completed before the board can vote to acquire the school.

Voting alongside Martell on Tuesday was his wife, Joanne. She floated the idea of replacing the town hall, which she said is getting “a little dilapidated and less roomy,” with the elementary school. Ultimately, Joanne joined the majority of voters who elected to sell both school buildings, noting she hopes they will be turned into housing as “housing is always an issue.”

In other business, Diane Adinolfo and Laura Lambert secured seats on the town’s select board in Tuesday’s election, according to the voting results certified and released by town clerk Jacquelene Tate.

Adinolfo, a retired quality assurance manager, said she believes the town’s future holds opportunities for Allenstown “to become a town that’s forward-thinking, progressive and well-respected.” For her part, Lambert has been a mail carrier in Allenstown and Pembroke for 17 years. In an interview with the Monitor, Lambert underscored the importance of select board accessibility, saying she would be “proactive and available” to community members if elected.

As candidates, Adinolfo and Lambert both also said they would recruit help from state representatives on local issues that stem from, in Adinolfo’s words, “how much money the town will get or not get” from the state.

Voters also rejected a proposal to rescind the town’s SB2 status and return to a traditional form of self-government. Allenstown will remain an SB2 town and continue to split its annual town meeting into two sessions where residents deliberate on one day and vote on another.

On the school ballot, voters selected Cheryl McDonald for a one-year term on the Allenstown school board. McDonald is an Army veteran who has lived in Allenstown for four decades. McDonald said she plans to create an educational series to help bridge the relationship between the school board and parents.

She’s not a big fan of the state’s school choice program, known as Education Freedom Accounts, she said

“It’s important that funds stay in public schools, for public education, but I also believe people should have freedom of choice.”

Excluding one article — Article 7, which would have raised funds for an additional school bus — all warrant articles on the school warrant passed.

 

Reporter Rachel Wachman contributed to this report.