BINGHAM -- Voters had plenty of questions but few found reason to oppose articles that represented the bulk of the town's budget Monday night.

In polling before the meeting, Bonnie Atwood and Joey McKenzie won seats on the School Administrative District 13 school board in a three-way race for two open positions.

Just over 40 residents attended the business portion of the town meeting in the Quimby School gym, passing a public safety article with an increase of over $37,000 for the Upper Kennebec Valley Ambulance Service.

That increase is due largely to an upgrade in services including the hiring of paramedics for most shifts.

First Selectman Steven Steward said the increased expense is shared between the larger towns of Bingham and Moscow and smaller "upriver" towns of Caratunk and West Forks.

Under a new funding formula, all towns pay a base rate as well as a share of ambulance service cost based on their population. Larger towns such as Bingham and Moscow pay a base rate of $7,000 while smaller towns pay a smaller, but still relatively large base rate -- $4,000 each for West Forks and Caratunk.

Steward said the upriver towns "stepped up to the plate" by accepting the new formula.

Street lights were also a concern.

"There are a half-a-dozen in town that they are not taking care of," said Wesley Baker.

Residents also had plenty of questions about roads but passed a public works budget that included a winter roads line that had increased over $25,000.

That increase reflects an overrun of more than $12,000 in the 2007 budget as well as heavier-than-average snowfall and rising diesel, salt and sand prices.

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