The long-awaited plan for a new police station will have to keep waiting following insufficient support at the polls.

The $7.1 million bond article proposed to build the new station on Veterans Memorial Parkway received only 54 percent of the vote when two-thirds majority required for passage, 2,652 to 2,267.

The town’s $32.2 million operating budget passed with a vote of 2,684 to 1,767. All union contract salary increases passed except the Salem Professional Union Employees contract of $43,614, which failed 2,591 to 2,239.

About 27% of the town’s 18,816 registered voters turned out at the polls March 11.

The selectman’s race went well for incumbents Michael Lyons, who received 2,594 votes and Everett McBride with 2,041 votes, defeating three challengers: Roland Theberge, 1,636; Ron Giordano, 1,424; and John J. Manning, 579.

A competitive three-way race for town clerk following the retirement of Barbara Lessard ended with Susan Wall winning the position with 3,292 votes. Betty Oldeman received 1,266 votes and Bill Carter received 258.

The two seats available in four-way planning board race will go to Ron Belanger, with 2,262 votes and Robert Campbell with 2,123, defeating incumbent Thomas Campbell, with 1,498 votes and Jeffrey Gray with 1,674.

In Zoning Board of Adjustment races, Christopher Sousa received 2,477 votes and Jeffrey Hatch got 1,993, winning three-year seats, while Diana Seifert, with 1,294 votes, won a two-year seat against Edward Suffern with 384, Robert Uttley, 790, and Jeanete Mompo, 345.

A zoning petition to allow certain commercial vehicles to park at residential homes failed 3,053 to 1,548. Voters also defeated a measure to remove restrictions on political sign use in town.

School results

Plans for a $40 million renovation to Salem High were defeated at the ballot with returns showing an overwhelming two-to- one margin against the $1.5 million warrant to pay for renovation plans. The final tally was 3,266 to 1,604.

While the teachers union contract raise was approved 2,562 to 2,345, voters turned down raises for the Salem school secretaries and the school custodian association.

The school district’s $53.5 million operational budget passed 2,665 to 2,212. A plan to create a reserve fund for high school renovation costs from $600,000 raised from Windham student tuition payments to Salem High failed 2,882 to 1,960.

A request for $100,000 to fund a deficit in special education to pay for out-of-district tuition to students needing that placement failed 2,358 to 2,340.

Former School Board chairman Bernard Campbell was re-elected to the board in an uncontested race. He received 2,691 votes.