Ashland residents defeated the town's recommended budget and elected a licensed surveyor as the town's first police chief, who will now have to pass the police academy within six months before being able to fill the position.

Last year, voters supported the switch to election, prompting the retirement of the existing chief and setting the stage for a three-way race for the post. Tom Sweetsir, who has 12 years of experience in law enforcement, and Jamie Lyford, a current member of the town's police department, were both bested by local surveyor Tony Randall.

At candidate's night Randall told residents he had no experience in law enforcement but says he plans to attend the police academy full-time in September. If he fails to pass within six months of his election, the position will come back to the selectmen for appointment.

Without a law enforcement background, Randall said he plans to step back, see how the department works and then consider whether anything needs to be changed. A licensed surveyor for 25 years, Randall has run his own business for seven years.

In other action, voters defeated the recommended budget. As an SB2 community, Ashland will now revert to a default budget of $6,138,379. Voters had been asked to approve a budget of $6.3 million.

Voters also defeated a petitioned warrant article seeking to hire and pay a full-time fire chief.

In the selectmen's race, challenger Sandra Coleman defeated incumbent Beth Bartlett. Bartlett will continue to serve as health officer and was reelected to serve on the Budget Committee.

Coleman, who has previously served on the budget committee as electric commissioner and on the planning board, said she decided to run for selectmen in hopes of being able to attract new families to the community and help the community she has grown to love since initially vacationing there in the 1970s and then deciding to retire to in the 1980s.

"Right now we don't have a contract with the union and a lot of departments in town are in need of equipment. It's a safety issue and they're working for us and our townspeople. I'd like to get involved with that," Coleman said of what she plans to accomplish as selectman.

Bartlett said she was pleased to have some of the stresses of being a selectmen off her shoulders while still being able to serve the town as health officer and on the budget committee.

Thomas Peters was elected as trustee of trust funds for a three-year term and Lynn Davis was reelected as library trustee, also for a three-year term.

Michael Evieth was reelected to the electric commission without opposition and Andrew Dame, an incumbent, was elected to another three-year term on the water and sewer commission.

In budget committee results, Kendall "KB" Hughes was elected to a three-year term after serving as an appointed member, and fellow board member David Ruell won reelection. Bartlett also was reelected to a two-year term on the board.

No one filed for a one-year seat on the board resulting in a write-in win. All three zoning amendments also passed.