Voters spent most of Saturday morning debating Article 5, the town’s fiscal year 2005 operating budget, which totals over $46.9 million. The key issues were how to fund Ashdod, the Tarkiln center, and the library so those buildings would remain open.

Voters approved the Finance Committee’s recommendation to add $60,000 to the fire department’s salary budget to pay overtime for daytime shift coverage for firefighters at Ashdod station. Ashdod is on Congress St. in West Duxbury. This money will come from free cash, the town’s savings account.

Adding this money brought the fire department’s budget to over $1.57 million and the public safety budget total to $4.86 million.

Ashdod has had to close 112 days since July 1, 2003 because there is not enough money in the FY04 budget to pay overtime for firefighters covering day shifts when their colleagues are sick or on vacation. The extra $60,000 for the FY05 budget covers the overtime gap.

Firefighter Loring Nudd Jr. of Tremont St. urged town meeting to approve the extra funding. Nudd said that without the $60,000, the proposed FY05 fire budget was comparable to “1970s staffing levels.” However, he said the fire department receives more emergency calls now than 30 years ago and often two or three calls come at once.

“Our response time to your emergency is vital,” said Nudd.

 “This impacts the whole town, not just our part of the town,” said Ronan Ryan of Forest St., president of the North Duxbury Residents Association.

If Ashdod is closed and the emergency vehicles from the central fire station on Tremont St. are sent to west Duxbury, then other parts of town suffer if they have emergencies, said Ryan.

Voters rejected an amendment by selectmen to add $10,094 to the fire department budget, which would have forced Ashdod station to close between 140 to150 times until July 1, 2005.

Fire Chief Bill Harriman, who is retiring this year, supported the Finance Committee’s recommendation. He said he tried to be “a team player” and not ask for more money for his department, but he told town meeting “this is now your decision” to add the extra money.

While supporting Ashdod station, one of the town’s newest buildings, residents didn’t forget their past, as they also supported one of their oldest public buildings.

Voters approved an amendment to add $7,600 to the Department of Public Works’ budget to keep open the Tarkiln Community Center on Route 53. Tarkiln was originally an old school house erected in 1871.

The Finance Committee recommended eliminating Tarkiln’s $4,000 budget because this amount wouldn’t cover the building’s $5,300 utility bill. Instead, voters supported keeping the historic building open and directed selectmen to raise fees for its users groups. Renters lease the building for $4 an hour.

Mark Cleveland of Washington St. said the Tarkiln building was heavily used by twelve different groups of about 400 people, including two Boy Scout troops, two Alcoholics Anonymous groups, two dance troops, a 4-H group and a church.

“It seems clear that the town needs community buildings,” said Cleveland. “This is not a heavy burden on the town. If it is closed, it is going to be expensive to reopen.”

Greg Hunter of King Caesar Rd. favored closing the building, saying issues surrounding its use and upkeep had been going on for many years.

“We need to decide if we need to keep the building,” said Hunter. “I’m in favor of mothballing it.”

Tarkiln is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, said Historical Commission chairman Martha Himes.

Former Selectman Margaret Kearney suggested the town apply for Community Preservation Funds to renovate Tarkiln.

The additional $7,600 will allow the DPW to perform maintenance and ongoing repairs to the old wooden structure. The funds will come from free cash.

With the extra funding for Ashdod and Tarkiln coming from free cash, the total in that account decreased to its lowest point in ten years. At the start of town meeting, free cash totaled $495,000. After $67,600 was added to the budget, the balance in free cash came to $427,400. Free cash is used to cover union contracts and emergencies, such as snow removal from winter storms. Until last year, town officials always tried to leave $1 million or more in free cash. Last year, the town was left with $500,000 after town meeting.

Town Manager Rocco Longo, Finance Committee Chairman Frank Mangione and Selectmen Chairman Betsy Sullivan strongly cautioned town meeting voters not to draw down on the town’s reserves any more. Their warnings seemed to work as voters rejected an amendment to add $40,000 to the library’s budget.

Without this additional funding, the library must apply for a waiver in order to keep its state certification as its budget does not meet the state’s requirements. The approved FY05 library budget is $934,000.

Last year, the library applied and received a waiver to keep its state certification. If the state does not grant the library another waiver then Duxbury will no longer be part of the Old Colony Library Network. This means there will be no inter-library loans of materials like books, magazines and videos. It also means that the 14,000 Duxbury library card holders won’t be able to use their cards at other libraries since they won’t be honored. Also, Duxbury will no longer be able to apply for state grants.

Deborah Bornheimer of Upland Rd. is on the state Board of Library Commissioners. She said the state does not look favorably on communities that apply two years in a row for a waiver.

With a cut of $53,000, the approved library budget is not enough to keep the library open seven days a week. It will close on Mondays beginning July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. This will affect many students as they congregate at the library after school.

The budget decrease also means a cut in staff. One full-time administrative position, three library pages, and a part-time professional position were eliminated. Also, there will be a 4 percent reduction for materials, including books.

The total library and recreation budget for FY05 is $1.33 million.

Under Article 5, the operating budget, voters also approved the following amounts: general government, $1.58 million; public safety, $4.86 million; public works, $5.2 million; health and human services, $348,384; education, $22,984,780; employee benefits, insurance and debt service, $10.5 million.

The total FY05 operating budget is $46,912,919.