Hooksett voted down a $1.5 million bond to expand the sewer plant, downed the proposed $15.7 million 2008- 09 town operating budget and elected two new members to the Town Council.

A total of 1,000 Hooksett voters turned out at the polls on Tuesday, May 13 to choose town officials and vote on 24 cost items and 16 zoning amendments.

Seventeen voters cast absentee ballots for a total turnout of 1,017, about 12 percent of Hooksett’s registered voters.

Nancy VanScoy beat incumbent Jason Hyde for the District 2 Council seat, earning 136 votes to his 54.

“I’m really excited to certainly learn more about what happens inside the Town Council,” said VanScoy, 38, who has lived in town for eight years. “I think my biggest thing is to restore the feel of community and involve everybody in the decisions of the town.”

Michael Pischetola won over incumbent Stuart Werksman and Carl Hebert for the at-large seat on the Town Council. Pischetola got 532 votes, Werksman got 244 and Hebert got 141.

“I think the big goal I have is to try to bring new ideas and a new voice to the Council,” said Pischetola, 59, a retired cop who moved back to Hooksett seven years ago after living in Manchester for two years.

The proposed $15,786,795 budget was voted down 508-468. The town’s 2008-09 default budget will now be $15,325,417.

The Sewer Department’s article asking voters to put up $1.5 million on a bond to complete the second phase of the sewer plant’s expansion was downed 504-500. It needed a three-fifths majority to pass.

“That’s very unfortunate because the future progress of the town, as far as trying to encourage commercial and industrial to offset the residential, is going to be very difficult,” said Town Council Chairman Paul Loiselle.

An article asking to transfer Comcast franchise fees into a separate town fund to set up a public access TV station failed in a 551-442 vote. The 2 percent charge on each cable bill will continue to go into the general fund to help offset taxes.

“The campaign itself was extremely favorably received,” said Peter Farwell, who spearheaded the public access drive.

“I don’t know what we’ll do because that’s the third time people said no,” said School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette, who was active in the public access campaign.

Hooksett voters approved funding for two new firefighters, two highway workers, and a part-time assistant building and zoning inspector. They also voted in raises for non-union town employees.

The vote for $129,548 to hire two firefighters was the most narrow, with 492 approving the funding and 489 voting against it.

Voters authorized the town to enter into a $151,000 lease/ purchase agreement for a new highway truck, and further to spend $30,205 on the first year’s payment. The Highway Department will also get the funding for a $55,000 tractor.

The May 2006 vote authorizing the town to enter into a $16 million bond for the Cabela’s plan was rescinded. The October 2007 special election reduced the town’s obligation to just $2 million.

A tie vote over whether to deposit $50,000 in an assessing certification fund failed because it lacked a simple majority, according to Town Clerk Leslie Nepveu, who called Secretary of State William Gardner on Wednesday, May 14, to ask how to proceed. A coin toss to determine the outcome of a tie is only allowed in candidate races, she said.

Voters passed all 16 zoning amendments, including a growth phasing ordinance that will require developers submitting development plans with more than 12 units to submit a comprehensive phasing plan before construction. It also limits the number of units that per year can be added to the development, depending on the type of zone it’s in. A total of 722 votes were cast in favor and 217 against.

The town also voted to replace the Cluster Housing Ordinance with a Conservation Subdivision ordinance and to increase the required setback from wetlands from 25 feet to 40 feet. One also changed the definition of “junk” to include more than one unregistered and uninspected vehicle, preventing residents from storing more than one such vehicle on their property.