VAN BUREN – Residents Wednesday night approved a $2,431,698 spending package for the town that will raise taxes by between 1.5 and 1.75 mills.

The final tally will see the mill rate rise from this year’s 22.25 mills to somewhere between 23.5 and 24 mills. The amount includes the town’s share of SAD 24 expenditures and of the Aroostook County budget.

About 60 residents attended the nearly two-hour meeting during which there was no major controversy. Residents posed numerous questions on most of the 37 articles in the warrant.

They approved all recommendations made to them by the Town Council and the budget committee.

The only article that included a choice of monetary amounts involved an appropriation for capital equipment reserve.

The council and the budget committee recommended raising $160,000, while a capital improvement committee had recommended $293,705.

Residents went with the Town Council and budget committee suggestion of $160,000.

There was some concern about the use of town surplus money to reduce taxes. The town has about $1 million in reserve money. The council suggested using $175,000 of the money to reduce the increase in taxes.

Some residents wanted the town to use more of the surplus money, while others thought the town should let property taxes pay the town’s expenses. They wanted the surplus account to increase.

Town Manager Larry Cote said the town should keep the surplus account around $1 million, in case of emergencies. He said the town’s surplus account will receive more money at the end of the fiscal year June 30.

The amount of this year’s surplus won’t be known until the books are closed in early July.

“I feel the surplus account is healthy,” Cote said.

Residents agreed, and voted to use $175,000 to reduce the property tax crunch.

The town also will be using $969,667 from excise tax collections, Maine State Revenue Sharing, local service charges and other miscellaneous funds to keep the property tax commitment down.

This year, the 22.25 mill rate raised $1,248,522 from property taxes. An increase of 1.5 to 1.75 mills could increase the commitment by $84,000 to $98,000.