About 28 residents attended Sharon’s Town Meeting on Thursday and nearly unanimously approved all items on the warrant, including the budget and fund to work on a portion of Nashua Road.

The budget  was proposed at $467,325. Town Administrator Debra Harling outlined the changes from the previous budget, including a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for her position, the cost of running a total of five elections this year. Costs for payments for service to Peterborough rise $12,493 after taking into account a decrease in the police payment and an increase in the payment for the Fire Department.

Selectman Rich Dufresne said both departments have had structuring changes, resulting in savings on the police side. The addition of a full-time deputy chief position and the replacement of a new tanker attributed to the rise in cost for the fire service.

The voters passed the article with only a scattering of no votes.

The article which drew the most discussion was a proposal to raise $157,000 for the town road repairs capital reserve, which would be used to reconstruct a portion of Nashua Road.

“If you’ve driven on Nashua Road, you know it need a great deal of work at this time,” said Selectman Chet Bowles. “And the cost of materials has skyrocketed.”

Former town Road Agent Pete Paris questioned why the road needed to be fully reconstructed, suggesting a less-costly solution could be employed.

“I like to see you keep the cost down,” Paris said. “We’re a small town.”

Road Agent Sandy Eneguess replied that the cost between a shimming and a complete reconstruction was relatively minor, but the reconstruction would last significantly longer.

Town Clerk Dianne Mitchell spoke in favor of the article.

“I think you have to look at how the traffic has increased, the weight of the vehicles have increased, and the cost of supplies, since COVID, have doubled,” Mitchell said. “We all deserve to have better roads in our town.”

The article passed unanimously.

Town Meeting approved the use of state funds to be added to capital reserves in two separate articles, one for $6,152 in bridge aid for the bridge capital reserve and $5,776 in road aid for the highway repairs capital reserve.

The town agreed to raise $6,000 for to purchase two desktops and a laptop for the town clerk and town administrator, and to connect cable internet to the town office, which will provide faster internet speeds at a lower price than the town is paying. The article passed unanimously.

The town also agreed to open a new expendable trust fund for town building maintenance repairs. Dufresne said the town meetinghouse was built 17 years ago, and while still in good shape, did need repairs from time to time. Currently, there is some mold growing on the main room ceiling, some leaks in the vents and a need to reset the paving stones at the front of the building. Dufresne said estimates of these jobs are between $800 and $1,200, and may be able to be accommodated in the current budget, but as the town moves forward the building will continue to have to be addressed.

“Like any building, it has its creaks and bones,” Dufresne said.

The town agreed to create the fund, and to add $3,000 to it, with the Select Board able to expend the funds as needed without a further vote of Town Meeting.

Voters also approved, without amendment, $6,000 for the assessing reserve, $1,000 for the technology upgrade expendable trust and $1,000 for the emergency management communications expendable trust.