ST. JOHN PLANTATION – Residents of this small St. John Valley plantation seem to be happy with their municipal affairs as few of them attended the annual meeting Saturday, when questions could be counted on one hand.

On Thursday, six municipal positions were filled by fewer than 40 residents who cast ballots. Thirteen of them attended the meeting Saturday, and two others arrived as the 18-minute meeting was ending.

Annual meeting moderator Paul Grant, who has been running meetings in town for 30 years, except when he was a selectman himself for a couple of years, moved things along quickly. He conducted two meetings – the annual meeting and a special plantation meeting because one article was left off the annual meeting warrant.

One resident, with tongue in cheek, wanted to know whether Grant would get $25 for each session he moderated. Grant said he would donate the fee for the second session to the plantation.

“The motion is carried without opposition,” he said 31 times during the two meetings.

All motions to accept the articles Grant was reading were made by John Pelletier. Other residents seconded his motions, and the meeting moved quickly.

“Was there any money left in that account?” one resident asked when no money was sought for general assistance. “Why isn’t there an amount of money for Catholic Charities Maine?” another asked when there was no amount.

There was money left in general assistance, and Catholic Charities Maine did not make a request for money this year, they were told.

Elected to one-year terms as first, second and third selectmen Thursday were Joella McBreairty, Normand Marquis and Levite Gene Lizotte, respectively. Joyce Martin was re-elected town clerk, treasurer and tax collector.

On Saturday residents approved the expenditure of $94,653. Of that amount, $28,752 will come from property taxes. The remainder of the money, $65,901, comes from motor vehicle excise tax revenues.

The expenditures do not include the plantation’s share of the Aroostook County budget and SAD 27 expenses. In 2004 those costs were $14,406 for the county tax and $141,163 for education.

The largest expense the town has is for solid waste disposal at $21,000. That is followed by officers’ salaries at $20,900.

Residents agreed to spend up to $15,000 to fund an application to the Community Development Block Grant program for a community planning grant. The grant would pay for a survey of all disabled and handicapped residents who may need home renovations of adaptive equipment. The committee overseeing grant applications also will be looking at assisted living housing, fire protection and recreational programs as municipal needs.

In the past year, 41 residents have benefited from a $231,800 Community Development Block Grant for housing preservation.