Westport Island has finished smoothing out a five-year wrinkle from when it changed its tax billing time.

A light turnout of voters at town hall for the annual town meeting June 27 approved making the final, $243,712 payment on a $1.33 million loan.

The town took out the loan in 2010 to avoid billing property owners twice in one year as the town changed its billing cycle, Treasurer Susan Partelow said.

Before the change, taxes were being billed and collected after the tax year closed, Partelow said.

With the town's revaluation under way, it is not yet known how great a tax drop that taxpayers could see after the loan is paid off, Partelow said.

“But there should be a reduction,” she said.

In other decisions Saturday, voters passed town officers' 1.75 percent cost-of-living raises and approved a $4,400 update to the town's digital tax maps and geographic information systems database, using New Hampshire contractor CAI.

Residents supported $5,000 in town hall repairs, including possibly repairing or replacing the front doors; and putting $3,000 on reserve for future work including painting the building's sides.

Also going into reserve will be $25,000 toward a salt and sand shed. The proposal was one of the few that drew debate in the two-hour meeting. Resident Bill Hopkins said building storage space for salt doesn’t make sense, because salt can affect trees and the watershed and, in many temperatures, is ineffective unless used in large amounts.

Road Commissioner Garry Cromwell said the shed would also shelter sand and equipment. “The shed would be a great thing at some point here, to keep stuff under cover,” he said.

Voters agreed to put the money on reserve, as Cromwell and selectmen had recommended. The meeting’s only departure from the warrant’s proposed $2,068,211 in spending was to add another $696 to the funding for the town’s next contract with the Wiscasset Transfer Station. First Selectman George Richardson proposed the amendment. The $72,068 on the warrant was based on an earlier figure Wiscasset provided; the cost will be $72,764, he said.

Also drawing debate was a proposal to stop the town’s longtime practice of giving tax money to service organizations.

Supporters of the move argued that residents could give to the organizations on their own. People can open their hearts and their wallets to donate, Jerry Partelow said. “But don’t ask every taxpayer to foot that bill.”

In opposing the change, resident Paul Bonyun referred to his 2006 experience being taken by a Lifeflight helicopter to a Lewiston hospital. “If it weren’t for Lifeflight, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.

A tree he was cutting fell on him; he spent weeks in a coma, Bonyun explained in an interview later.

Deputy Fire Chief Jason Abbott also argued against the change. He said he doesn’t use the services some groups offer, but supporting them is part of being a small town community.

The proposal to stop giving the groups tax money lost in a show of hands. Voters went on to approve $3,171 for service organizations. Lifeflight was approved for $150; Coastal Transportation, $400; Healthy Kids, $1,500; Maine Midcoast Community Action, $420; and Spectrum Generations, $701.

More than 40 voters turned out Saturday.

Election results

Incumbents prevailed over write-ins in elections held June 26. Gerald Bodmer retained the second selectman’s seat with 121 votes to write-in candidate Reginald Lee’s 20; Dennis Dunbar and E. Davies Allan each received a single write-in vote, Town Clerk Gaye Wagner reported Friday night.

For Regional School Unit 12 board member, voters kept Sandra Crehore, with 134 votes. Lee got 3 write-in votes for that seat; and Margie Hodgdon and Mort Mendes each received a write-in vote.

A total of 145 residents cast ballots Friday.