Residents at West Tisbury town meeting next year will be asked if they want to use paper ballots for some votes at town meeting.

Responding to resident requests earlier this year for secret ballots, selectmen last week prepared a bylaw amendment which says a written or paper ballot “shall be taken on any town meeting article if a motion is made, seconded and approved by 20 voters (whether required to be a counted vote or not.)”

Vote totals on any paper ballot in terms of ayes, nays and abstentions will be announced by the moderator.

The town moderator is required to count votes as opposed to ruling by voice vote for certain articles, including planning board or money articles. Some require a simple majority, others require a two-thirds majority.

“The selectmen discussed it with the finance committee,” said Glenn Hearn, chairman of the selectmen. “We agree that a specific number of people requesting paper ballots votes on money articles were the options. A lot of New England towns are including paper ballots these days so we thought it was worth asking the voters whether they wanted it.

“I think this addresses the issue that some people might be more comfortable voting by paper than voice voting on some issues, and we’d get a truer picture of town sentiment on issues as a result,” Mr. Hearn said.

In other actions, selectmen completed initial approval of the selectmen’s budget in preparation for town meeting. The board’s budget will be submitted nearly even with last year’s budget.

Also, town accountant Bruce Stone said he believes the town expenses for the Tri Town ambulance may decline as much as $50,000 in the coming fiscal year.

The town is entering its second year of a new billing plan with Chilmark and Aquinnah under which clients with insurance are billed for ambulance service. To date in 2007, the fund has received $146,000 in billings. The funds are used to offset town expense for the service. West Tisbury’s budget for ambulance expense is about $120,000 in the current fiscal year.