BURNHAM – Residents made quick work of Saturday’s town meeting warrant, approving all spending items recommended by the Board of Selectmen, including one they decided to increase.

Town Clerk Caroline Mitchell said the meeting was brief and to the point, just the way she likes them. “They got it all over within a hurry,” Mitchell said Monday.

Mitchell has been at it since the 1970s and was elected to her 36th consecutive term this year.

Unlike past elections, however, Mitchell was opposed this year by Anne M. Goodblood. When the ballots were tallied, Mitchell polled 121 votes to Goodblood’s 73.

It was a lot easier for Town Treasurer Arlene Miles, Mitchell’s next door neighbor. Miles was unopposed in her bid for a 51st consecutive term and was favored with 170 votes.

Luke M. Goodblood was unopposed for re-election to a three-year term as selectman.

In the race for highway commissioner, Charles R. King topped the ticket with 90 votes, followed by John W. Berryman with 53 and Ronald R. Nason with 46. Barbara Basford was elected to a two-year term on the SAD 53 board of directors with 12 write-in votes, and Basil Chase was elected to a three-year term on the cemetery committee with 11 write-in votes.

Looking to achieve greater recycling numbers, residents increased the article requesting $3,500, to $4,800.

Mitchell said the added funding would be spent on placing a recycling container at the town’s transfer station on the North Horseback Road. The town has containers where residents can drop off paper, plastic and glass recyclables at the two stores in town, Patterson’s Market and the Burnham Country Store.

“They [residents] felt that having a dumpster at the transfer station would get people to drop off their recyclables when they drop off their trash,” said Mitchell.

The approximately 35 voters attending the meeting rejected a request from neighboring Pittsfield to contribute $5,000 to the expansion fund for the Pittsfield Library. Mitchell said the town pays Pittsfield for each Burnham family using the library and residents felt that was sufficient.

“They didn’t feel they should help pay for the expansion,” said Mitchell.