NORTHSHIRE - Local towns that surround Manchester had their Town Meetings earlier this week to vote on Town and School budgets among other important articles.

In Rupert a total of 185 voters voted on the town budget of $703,420, which passed with a vote of 156 for and 28 against. Other important articles that passed included adding $35,000 to the Town Garage Building Fund and $17,500 to the Rupert Volunteer Fire Company. There were no contested races however Linda Montague and Philip Mazzucco each were re-elected to one-year Select Board terms.

Pawlet voters passed all special articles on the Town Warning except for one asking for the town to spend $28,794 to the Pawlet Public Library Building to paint its exterior. The vote was 137 for to 172 against. Townspeople also voted to pass the General Fund at $351,439 and the Highway Fund at $394,245 for a total budget of $745,681.

Both Pawlet and Rupert voted to pass the Union School District 47 Budget at $ 3,019,294 with 292 votes for and 205 against.

A total of 29 voters came to vote in Stratton and voted all special articles through. The town budget of $1,646,397 was passed. The one contested race was for the 4-year planning commission seat between incumbent Anne Patten who was defeated by Robert Wadsworth by a 16 -10 vote.

For the School Budget meeting, voters reduced the budget from $637,475 down to $630,875 by removing the transportation stipends for parents.

In Londonderry, the budget of $1,609,318 was

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passed. Voters continued to pass all other special articles including a total of $40,000 on the grand list to be equally distributed between Phoenix Fire Company 6 and Champion Fire Company 5. Residents also voted $24,508 to the Mountain Valley Medical Center, and $10,000 to the South Londonderry Library Association. There was also a contested race for the 3-year Select Board positions between Paul Gordon and Wayne Blanchard, which Gordon won with a 77- 61 vote.

The Town of Weston voted to pass their budget as well. The Town General Fund Budget was passed at $$401,420 and the Town Highway Budget was passed at $930,797 for a total of $1,332,217.

In the Town of Jamaica, the budget of $1,081,902 was passed with $877,902 to be raised by taxes. A special article to eliminate the positions of town auditors was also passed by a vote of 80 for and two against.

Jamaica also passed their School Budget, which was a unanimous vote from the floor at $1,145,528.

In Sandgate a total of 49 residents voted for the General Fund budget, which was passed at $39,107 and the Highway Fund budget passed at $285,332 for a total budget of $324,439.

The town also voted through an amended School Budget of $833,000, down from the $872,341 that was presented.

In Mount Tabor, residents voted for the Union District 23 School Budget, which passed with a 22-2 vote at $1,693,844. Mount Tabor also voted for an acquisition of a new fire truck that will cost the town $6,000 every year for the next eight years.