The town election on Tuesday, March 11, reversed a string of defeats for proposals to expand the Fire Department.

In two previous elections, voters had thrown out plans for 18 and 10 firefighters, but Tuesday they signed off on hiring two. The cost of the new firefighters will be split with a Homeland Security grant, which will provide $34,324. The election also gave firefighters a new contract with the town and approved a deposit of $420,000 for the future purchase of an aerial fire truck, a tanker pumper and a pumper.

But a town plan to buy land for its long-term needs suffered a setback. A large majority voted against a $2 million bond, part of which would have been spent on 27 acres of land which the town said could have recreational and conservation value. In the future, officials eyed it as a site for a new town or school building.

The rejection came as a surprise to Selectman Nick Campasano, especially since the town had carried an active public information campaign for the measure.

He said there was no indication that the public disapproved, noting that at the town deliberative session, voters refused to decrease the bond from $2 million to $1.5 million.

“This is a multi-year project,” Campasano said. “Previous boards of selectmen have worked on this.”

The remaining ballot articles got the thumbs up from voters.

Key articles were the $18.7 million operating budget and a $2.5 million bond for a municipal water system in the Lynchville and Danis parks area.

The town ballot also offered voters an opportunity to voice their opinions on some crucial issues. By wide margins, they directed the Board of Selectmen to pass an ordinance which would require that large withdrawals of water in Goffstown must be approved by voters. On the issue of taxes, they called on state officials to have an open discussion on all revenue sources.

The races for the governing town and school boards were all uncontested. Philip D’Avanza is returning to the Board of Selectmen and Henry Boyle, Philip Pancoast and Sara Sarette are back on the School Board.

All the school articles passed, including the $34.8 million operating budget and authorization for the first phase of renovations to the Bartlett Elementary School.

Of the all the town and school offices on the ballot, three were contested. For town moderator, the race tipped in favor of Rodney Stark over Roxann Hunt. Cathy Ball topped Donna Bergeron, the current officeholder, and Karen LeClerc for town clerk. And Denise Lemay upset incumbent Tricia Wynne for supervisor of the checklist.

Judy Roberge won as a writein candidate for the Budget Committee with just 15 votes since only two candidates had filed for three open seats.