FRANKLIN – Voters are expected to decide Saturday whether to continue with proposed changes to positions and duties at the Town Office, according to the warrant for Franklin’s annual town meeting.

Last year, local voters agreed to raise $15,000 to hire a part-time office assistant and to purchase office equipment. This year, voters will be asked to raise $10,000 to maintain the position and whether they also want to hire a full-time administrative assistant.

No monetary figure is suggested in the warrant for the proposed administrative assistant position.

The meeting is scheduled to get under way at the Franklin Community Center on Route 182 at noon Saturday, March 27.

Ballot elections will be held at the community center from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, March 26.

The 2004-2005 municipal budget is not expected to differ from this year’s municipal budget, according to Franklin Town Clerk Robert Fernald. Voters at Franklin’s annual town meeting last year approved a 2003-2004 municipal budget of approximately $150,000.

Fernald said that two issues likely to be discussed at town meeting are last year’s increase in water rates and the payment due on the town’s new firetruck. There is no specific proposal for either of these subjects in the meeting warrant, however.

Voters will be asked to approve paying roughly $50,000 in county taxes and to allocate $34,500 from surplus to help reduce the town’s tax commitment, according to the warrant.

In elections, two men are running to replace First Selectman Bruce Setler, who is not seeking re-election. L. Stephen Walton and John H. Welch are facing each other in the first selectman’s race, the only contested local election this year, according to Fernald.