Mechanic Falls sets hearing on annual town meeting proposal

MECHANIC FALLS – Townspeople have an opportunity to speak on a proposal to do away with the traditional annual town meeting at a public hearing  Tuesday.

 “Over the last 12 years town meeting attendance has hovered at about 60 people. Two previous attempts to move the meetings to a weeknight and another month did not impact the turnout,” Town Manager John Hawley said.

 Hawley noted that town meetings have been used since the 1893 municipal incorporation for the annual municipal and school budgets – and for the approval of capital expenditures.

 With the consolidation of the Mechanic Falls school district into RSU16 with Minot and Poland, the school budget was removed from town meeting floor negotiations, leaving only municipal expenses to be considered in the historical format.

 “Except for when someone was proposing something like buying a new firetruck, it generally was the school issues that drew people out in large numbers,”Hawley said.

 Last November, townspeople elected a Charter Commission to update the town charter, primarily to accommodate the effect of school consolidation law overriding local regulation.

 The public hearing, which will be held Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at the town office, will gather public comment on the Charter Commission's recommendations that would eliminate all references to a municipal school department and add a provision to recall elected officials, in addition to ending the town meeting form of government.

 Hawley explained that if the proposal to end town meetings wins voter approval Nov. 2, future town budgets will be decided in June balloting.