$5.168M budget, overrides approved.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Paula J. Owen

ASHBY - Town meeting voters yesterday passed a $5,168,000 town budget and Proposition 2-1/2 override requests for $54,000 to add a full-time firefighter, $29,000 for a new police cruiser and $38,000 to restore a position to the Highway Department.

The school committee withdrew a $23,000 override request for the North Middlesex Regional School District.

"I think it is a credit to the school committee to honor its commitment not to ask for it," said Selectman Daniel A. Meunier after the meeting.

According to Mr. Meunier, the school committee said last year it would not go for another override this year when it requested a $194,000 proposal passed by voters.

The town budget passed after more than an hour of discussion, Mr. Meunier said. A motion was made by John A. Steffian Jr., an unsuccessful candidate for selectman in Monday's election, to reduce the line item in the budget for Town Administrator Linda Sander's $53,000 salary by...