CAMDEN — Camden voters Wednesday night voted 55 to 16 to fund the emergency services line in the town's Public Safety category of the budget, but for an amount that was $50,000 less than the Select Board's recommended $1,876,857.

The Budget Committee's recommendation was to fund the public safety line at $1,950,857. The budget committee had recommended giving Camden First Aid Association the $147,000; the select board only recommended giving CFAA $100,000.

Resident Rick Knowlton made the motion for the amended amount, citing a desire to give the town more time to discuss how to provide emergency medical services, including ambulance service, to residents.

"My personal feeling is the work is not quite done. I have heard that the numbers are still moving and we have wonderful responses from wonderful suppliers, including North East Mobile Health, which has suggested a transition period of up to four months is warranted," said Knowlton.

Only one question about the motion came from the floor, and that was from Peter Gross, who asked what would happen to excess money appropriated for an EMS provider.

"Can you explain what happens to the money if the proposed motion is more than is needed," said Gross.

Select Board member John French said that the funds would roll into the undesignated surplus fund. Town Manager Patricia Finnigan explained that the undesignated surplus fund is a "rainy day" fund, with expenditures requiring a town vote, not necessarily at a special town meeting.

With no further discussion, the vote was taken and passed. The vote came less than 30 minutes after the town meeting began, and just 10 minutes after moderator Deb Dodge moved from Article 9 to Article 10, which was the 2013-2014 fiscal year budget question.

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Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached by email at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or by calling 207-706-6655.