ALNA

Residents at town meeting Saturday voted down an article that would have dedicated $25,000 to a reserve account for roads.

First Selectman David Abbott said this morning that the Board of Selectmen might call a special town meeting this summer to deal with the issue. The town owes money for road paving and for an addition to the fire house.

“Money toward the road paving account might be a better idea, to save money on interest,” Abbott said. “The way the article was written, there was no way to amend it.”

The meeting at the fire station lasted 2 1/2 hours. Residents spent a full hour debating proposed raises for members of the fire department, Abbott said.

In the end, voters agreed to double the salaries for the fire chief, assistant fire chief and the three captains — to $3,000; $2,000; and $500, respectively.

“There was much discussion,” Abbott said. “Amendments failed, and they went back to the original article and voted for it.”

Voters agreed to put $5,000 toward a reserve account to conduct a new townwide property valuation. Originally, the board had sought $30,000 for the account, in order to do the survey soon. But the posted warrant was scaled back to $5,000, Abbott said.

“We had decided there was no emergency about the valuation,” Abbott said. “Sometime down the road that’s going to have to happen.”

As it stands, the town now has $30,300 in the revaluation account. lgrard@timesrecord.com