Residents in Weare have spoken, and the general consensus is to keep the increase in taxes to a minimum for the coming year.

Out of the 19 monetary items on the town, school and John Stark School District ballots, residents only voted to accept five.

The biggest item voted down was a $1.25 million bond for a new Highway Garage and Transfer Station.

On the town ballot, residents voted yes to appropriate $400,000 for road reconstruction.

Of that amount, $247,752 would come from Highway Block Grant Funds from the state. The rest, $152,248 would come from taxes. The tax impact is 17 cents per $1,000 assessed property value, or $34 on a $200,000 home.

Residents also voted yes for $6,000 to cover the cost of one household hazardous waste day, and $20,000 for cemetery improvements.

The money for cemetery improvements will be withdrawn from the Cemetery Trust Fund, at no cost to taxpayers.

In the coming year, the town will run a default budget of $4,639,803.

On the school ballot, residents voted yes to adding 33 percent of any surplus at the end of the school year, up to $25,000, to the School Building Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund.

The school district, too, will operate on a default budget, which is $12,635,013.

On the John Stark Regional School District ballot, voters agreed to an expense of $1,000 for the School Board to continue investigating land leases, transfers of sales.

The John Stark district will also run on a default budget of $13,352,416.