WEST PARIS – Selectman have signed the warrant for a town meeting Nov. 12 to elect a selectman and consider changes in preparation for a town manager form of government.
The warrant, which was signed Thursday, will be ready for voters next week.
After electing a moderator, voters will be asked to elect a selectman to fill the remaining term of Harlan Abbott, which expires in March 2006. Abbott died Sept. 14 after a plane crash near Greenville.
Former librarian Constance Bacon has announced she plans to run.
And James Johnston, co-owner with his wife, Anne, of Johnston’s Hardware on Main Street, said he considering it, depending on the outcome of medical tests scheduled Oct. 23.
“If tests that I am scheduled for on the 23rd regarding the outcome of surgery I had earlier this year give me a clear bill of health I definitely will run,” he said. “I don’t want to run for selectman and, if elected, not be able to do the job. I will make a definite commitment after the 23rd if everything indicates I can serve the people of West Paris fully and fairly.”
Johnston is serving on the Town Manager Search Committee. He has been a member of the town’s budget committee and chaired the Town Manager Feasibility Committee last year.
Former Selectman Terry Campbell said he may run but has not made a definite decision.
The third article asks if the town will vote to change the positions of town clerk and bookkeeper from elected to appointed and designate the town manager be appointed to these positions effective at the annual town meeting in 2004.
Article 4 asks if the town will vote to change the position of road commissioner from elected to appointed and designate the town manager to be appointed to that position to become effective at the annual town meeting in 2006.
The town is preparing to hire a town manager to assume all major office positions. Voters approved the change in government by a wide margin last March.
Interviews are being conducted by the Town Manager Search Committee regarding a reported three dozen or more applications.
It is hoped the committee will have a recommendation for the selectmen later this year or early in 2004.
Town Clerk Cheryl Shattenberg said she will be in the town office from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, for additions or corrections in the voting list.
The meeting will convene at 7 p.m. in the Agnes Gray Elementary School gym.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.