CHESTER – Residents will consider a proposal to continue improving fire protection during the annual town meeting at 8 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the Marianne Municipal Building.

Selectmen are seeking voters’ permission to spend $6,000 to purchase a parcel of land to install a new dry fire hydrant in the northern part of the town, known locally as North Chester.

“We hope to find a suitable location,” said Temple Ireland, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

Chester has no fire department but contracts for fire protection services from neighboring Lincoln. A dry hydrant is a nonpressurized pipe system that enables firefighters to draw water from a nearby source such as a pond or lake.

Ireland said the town installed two dry hydrants in past years in an effort to improve fire protection. He said the dry hydrants aid firefighting efforts by eliminating the need to shuttle water from long distances.

Residents will consider appropriating a total of $900 to pay the town fire warden $500 and to pay two assistant wardens $200 each. Ireland said the positions were not new. “We have had fire wardens but they were not paid positions,” he said.

The total municipal budget of $256,605 represents a decrease of $$71,147 compared with last year. The amount proposed to be raised from local taxes of $39,905 represents an increase of $3,307 compared with last year.

Ireland said the municipal budget proposal would have no significant effect on the town’s tax rate of $11.60 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Municipal elections will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the Marianne Municipal Building.

Candidates for the Board of Selectmen: Temple Ireland for the three-year term; Roscoe Tash Sr. for a one-year term as second selectmen; and Terry Theriault for a one-year term as third selectman.

Michael Lambert and Phalia McMoarn are running for one three-year term on the SAD 67 board.

Lorraine Duarte and Judy Langerak are running unopposed for the two three-year terms on the planning board.

Only two residents, Nadine Clark and Shirley Nichols, are seeking the three available three-year terms on the board of appeals. The third seat could be filled with a write-in candidate.

Incumbents running for the following one-year terms are: Donna Tash for town clerk and registrar of voters; Ann Tash for tax collector and treasurer; James Tash Sr. for road commissioner; and Ronald Clark for cemetery caretaker.