Alna is buying a new fire truck for nearly $300,000. Voters made the decision after a sometimes heated debate at the annual town meeting March 22.

They also nixed a $50,000 project to move part of North Old Sheepscot Road, and, after one of the day's lengthiest discussions, gave the fire department $1,000 less than it asked for to do more landscaping at the fire station.

Residents decided to leave it up to the fire department to do fundraisers to make up the difference. Voters agreed to kick in $1,000 toward the local match for a state grant. The grant will buy three ginkgo trees and azaleas and other shrubbery, project volunteer Chris Cooper said.

Although it was one of the smallest spending items, the discussion around it cast the die for the day's theme: people's concern over the affordability of living in Alna.

During Saturday's four-hour meeting, several residents cited the town's reputation for high taxes. They said the property taxes are scaring away homebuyers and making it hard for hardworking people to get by.

One man said when he tells people he lives in Alna, they feel sorry for him. Another said the taxes are part of the reason he's moving.

Alna Town Clerk Amy Warner pointed out that most of the town's taxes go to Regional School Unit 12, not town spending. She encouraged people to take part in the school budget process if they want to bring their taxes down.

Brittney Morgan suggested getting some loam to help grass grow, instead of putting thousands of dollars into landscaping. “(The project) shouldn't be a priority, when you have people struggling in this town,” she said.

On the fire truck proposal, residents' chief concern was with the timing of the purchase. The town has saved up $163,000 toward the truck, leaving the rest to come from a loan. But Alna has other local, county and school district debts already, and some voters argued it would be better to wait until enough money was put away to buy the truck outright.

“I buy something when I can afford it,” Sheila Frankonis said.

Some also questioned the need to replace a 1986 truck that's still working. The body is rusting, repairs on it have been costing more, and the pump is weak but still passes pump tests, Trask said.

Ralph Hilton favored replacing the old truck. “Thirty years is a long time to have something in use that you depend on every day,” he said.

Some were not sure the truck should have a $17,000 foam system. Skipping it would have dropped the price to $278,000. The foam will help put out fires more quickly and lessen water damage to properties, Fire Chief Mike Trask said.

“We don’t need all the bells and whistles ...,” Morgan said. She said the department is like a boys’ club, and added, “I would like the fire department to care more about the taxpayers and a little less about the club.”

Steve Sheehy said if his home were on fire, he would like firefighters to have the foam to use. However, he remained skeptical about the need to get a truck now, he said.

Voters agreed to the higher price to cover the foam system.  A secret ballot vote on the truck ran 43 yes, 30 no. Eighty-two residents checked in to vote Saturday, Deputy Town Clerk Judy Greenleaf said.

The North Old Sheepscot Road project failed despite the urging of one of the road's residents. “It's something that needs to be taken care of, and not the day our new fire truck slides down ... or an oil truck,” Scott Gilbert said.

But selectmen said the town can fix the road enough to keep it safe, without the $50,000. It's not an emergency, First Selectman David Abbott said.

Voters agreed to spend up to $7,000 to train and equip more first responders, ahead of director Marcie Lovejoy’s retirement next year. Fred Bowers stood up and started residents’ applause for Lovejoy’s longtime service.