NORWICH — Voters on Tuesday approved school and municipal budgets, elected a newcomer to the Selectboard and approved two measures intended to combat climate change.

Longtime Selectboard member Linda Cook, a Norwich native, was defeated at the polls in her quest for another three-year term on the five-member board. She was defeated by town library employee Roger Arnold, 557-430.

“I’m very humbled and thankful to everyone that came out and voted for me,” Arnold said after the vote totals were announced at Tracy Hall. “I’ll work very hard and show up where voters are to always hear from them.”

Cook also thanked voters for their support on Tuesday, adding that the result is the “will of the town.”

Meanwhile, John Langhus, an energy consultant, won another term on the Selectboard, defeating challenger Doug Wilberding, 616-316.

Residents also voted, 836-147, to approve a $4.25 million town budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. The spending plan is a $230,593, or 5.1 percent, decrease made possible by cuts to several designated funds.

They also approved the Norwich school budget, 737-248. The $5.8 million spending plan for the Marion Cross School amounts to a $41,000, or 0.71 percent, decrease over the current year.

Together, the budgets are expected to lower the tax rate by more than 3 cents to $2.32 per $100 of assessed value. That would result in a roughly $127 tax decrease for a home valued at $400,000.

All other races were uncontested.

Residents were asked to approved articles aimed at reducing Norwich’s carbon emissions.

Article 36, which passed, 792-189, asked town officials to “take immediate and sustained” efforts to reduce the town’s use of fossil fuels at a minimum rate of 5 percent a year. The measure also places the town manager in charge of implementing changes and calls for updates in future town reports.

Another article requested the town make climate protection a “principal theme” of the next town plan. The measure passed, 817-171.

But Article 38 failed, 492-480. It sought to allocate $50,000 for design of a trail network through town. The funds will be used for preliminary work on the trails, which will be designed to help commuters bike and walk to work.

Norwich residents voted, 760-208, to approve up to $242,461 in additional bonds to complete work on the town garage and public safety building.

They also voted, 869-108, to OK a town request to allow for borrowing up to $3.5 million, which would be used to pay for road and infrastructure repairs needed after a July 2017 storm. The money ultimately will be paid off using federal and state grants.

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.