BEALS – The town voted to renew its contracts for law enforcement with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and for fire protection with the Jonesport Fire Department – but they want to see their bills for both services in a more timely fashion.

The 50 residents who turned out at Beals Elementary for the annual town meeting Monday evening got into considerable discussion over the town’s arrangement with the county sheriff.

The town had a $6,000 deal with the sheriff’s department for additional law enforcement last year. But no billing took place between July and December, and only in January did the town get a bill for $6,940, for the balance of the 2005 services.

The late bill created a $3,000 deficit for the town, Clerk Terry Feeney said Tuesday. The town stopped its services with the sheriff after the late bill came in.

The extra patrol services will resume soon, once the town can work out an improved relationship with the sheriff’s office. Voters agreed Monday to raise $10,000 toward law enforcement services in 2006, but this time, they want a contract in writing.

“We need an understanding that we will be billed on a regular basis, with dates and services rendered, and not to exceed $10,000,” Rebecca Beal, chair of the selectmen, said on Tuesday.

Some residents were concerned that they would be paying extra for services that would ordinarily be included in county coverage, such as responding to 9-1-1 calls or police checks for bail or probation violations.

They were assured that those would still be handled ordinarily. The extra services involve more regular and more visible regular patrol through the island community.

On a warrant item involving assistance from the Jonesport Fire Department, the town had voted $5,000 last year for services. But Jonesport didn’t bill Beals either, so the $5,000 stayed in the Beals account. This year, Beals will pay $15,500 – which includes $10,500 to be raised this year and the $5,000 leftover from last year.

In the traditional contests for town offices, Rebecca Beal and Daniel Davis both won uncontested seats for selectmen, joining Clara Smith on the three-person panel.

Beal, who has already served two years, won another three-year term. Davis, who has been a selectman in the past, fills out a vacancy that opened last fall after Lenore Faulkingham moved to Jonesport.

For school board, Ordman Alley Jr.’s term was up and he did not run again. Bethanie Beal was elected to the three-year position in his place.