BY JENN McDOWELL 

Town items

About 50 percent of Pelham voters went to the polls, voting down the town’s $10.8 million budget and most other high-cost items.

On Tuesday, March 11, 4,024 of the town’s 8,063 registered voters decided on warrants and elected officials for the coming year. In the town’s only contested race for two open three-year selectmen seats, three candidates were on the ballot: incumbents William McDevitt and Al Torrisi, both of whom were appointed to fill vacant seats last year, and Douglas Viger. McDevitt retained his seat with the most votes at 2,402 and Viger took the other, getting 2,056 votes.

“I’m extremely grateful for the confidence the voters placed in me for returning to the board after a three-year absence,” said McDevitt, who was appointed in November to fill a resignation. He served on the Board of Selectmen for 13 years prior to leaving the post three years ago.

In a 2226-to-1669 vote, Pelham voters downed a warrant item asking for funding to construct a new 19,000-square-foot fire station in town. The $4,273,000 bond article went to the ballot with the support of Pelham’s Budget Committee.

A total of 2,034 voters was enough to also vote down the proposed 2008-09 operating budget. The town now must operate under a default budget of $10,583,535, a number about $300,000 lower than what was proposed.

Voters also turned down collective bargaining agreements with the town’s police officers and public works employees which combined would have added $184,621 in the coming year.

Among the articles voters approved was one asking for $254,688 for road maintenance, which would be offset by a state highway grant. The article passed 2,818 to 1,056. The town also voted in a revised zoning amendment that allows political signs to remain up without a time limit and an article asking for $45,000 to pay for assessment in 2008. The vote also placed several parcels of land into conservation easements.

School Items

Pelham voters said no to a new high school this year, and also turned down most of the 17 warrant items related to the school district, including the $24.2 million proposed operating budget.

The 4,025 people who voted said no to a $3 million bond to purchase land for the new high school, a $44.6 million bond to build it and renovate the current high school for middle school use and another $3.1 million bond to add an auditorium to the new school.

The bonds in all three warrant articles proposed together would have added 93 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to the coming year’s tax rate, a tax bill increase for a home assessed at the median home price in town of $362,000 of about $336.

That tax impact would be about $1,000 in the second year of the bond, the heftiest payment burden.

About 50 percent of the 8,603 registered voters in town showed up at the polls on March 11. Voters decided against the $3 million bond to buy the 48- acre parcel of land on Windham Road for the school site, 2,210 to 1,755. The votes against the high school itself were 2,375 no and 1,580 yes.

The school district’s proposed operating budget also failed with voters in a 2,210-to-1,580 vote. The 2008-09 budget will default to $23,768,163.98, a difference of about $396,952.

Voters did approve a few articles, one being a 3 percent salary increase for non-union school district workers totaling $48,851 for the year, another asking for $183,331 to continue the district-wide technology program for a third year and one to deposit $50,000 into the district’s maintenance capital reserve fund.

Several warrant articles related to hiring school district staff failed with voters, including new teaching positions at Pelham Elementary, Memorial and Pelham High.

School Board incumbent Linda Mahoney retained her three-year seat against challenger Ray Perry, who lost by 46 votes. There was also a three-way race for a one-year term on the board, which Linda Koehler won with 1,445 votes. Lorraine Dube received 1,290 votes and Joseph Farris ended up with 61.