THOMASTON – Residents approved a $2.37 million municipal budget Tuesday night that computes to a 9.5 percent increase over the current budget.

Town Manager Valmore Blastow Jr. was not available for comment Wednesday, but he had previously noted that the budget includes $40,000 for legal costs related to the recent size cap referendums and Dragon Products matters.

All but one item passed, Town Clerk Joan Linscott said Wednesday. One item was withdrawn. Contractor Rick Catalano had wanted to buy some town land for a road, but bought private property instead, she said.

The $2,378,216 budget for 2006-07 reflects a 9.5 percent increase over the current budget and includes a $65,000 expense for the assessor to update property values, Blastow has said.

Blastow had estimated the current tax rate of $19.55 per $1,000 of assessed value might rise to $20.

The town’s share of Knox County’s assessment is $229,136, which is up 13.84 percent. A separate county emergency dispatching fee is $63,063, up 8.8 percent. The town’s portion of SAD 50 costs is $2,670,118, up 7.36 percent.

On Monday, voters elected town officers at the polls.

Newcomer Nancy Carter swamped her opponents – incumbent Selectman Wayne Linscott and former Selectwoman Sandra Jordan – in a three-way race for a three-year seat.

The vote: Carter, 142; Linscott, 61; and Jordan, 22.

Incumbent SAD 50 Director Joanne Richards, who was unopposed for a three-year term, got 159 votes. Newcomer Gary Upham, also unopposed, grabbed 128 votes for a one-year director’s seat. Greg Hamlin got 13 write-in votes for a two-year director’s seat, which had no contenders.