PERU – Town Clerk Vera Parent isn’t sure how many of Peru’s 1,600 residents are going to vote at the school merger referendum Tuesday.

But she did say Monday that she has “a pretty good crew” to count all of the ballots.

Voting takes place from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Rockemeka Grange Hall.

After electing a moderator at the special town meeting referendum, voters are to elect by Australian ballot (secret ballot) four School Directors of SAD 21.

Four of the five present Peru School Committee directors are seeking a seat on the new merged School Board should Peru voters agree to join SAD 21.

Richard P. Colpitts and Tammi L. Lyons are running unopposed for two three-year terms, Lynda L. Hebert is running unopposed for one two-year term, and Janet L. Rowley, is running unopposed for a one-year term.

Article 3 asks residents to vote on the meat of the secret-ballot referendum:

• Question 1: Shall the town of Peru vote to join SAD 21 as a participating municipality of the district subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement prepared by the commissioner dated Dec. 29, 2003?

• Question 2: Shall the costs of operating SAD 21 be shared among the towns of Canton, Carthage, Dixfield and Peru, according to the following formula:

a. 90 percent of the costs shall be shared in the same proportion as each municipality’s property valuation (fiscal capacity), as provided by Maine statute.

b. 10 percent of the costs shall be shared in the same proportion as each municipality’s number of resident pupils, as provided by statute.

Parent said she would have one group of helpers counting the referendum votes, and a second group tallying votes for Peru’s representatives to the SAD 21 Board of the merged districts.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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