At the Poland town meeting on April 24, Article 23 of the town warrant requests a vote to abandon efforts to purchase the Robert Walker property. At last year’s town meeting, the citizens voted to appropriate $100,000 for the purchase of the property. It was an agreed upon transaction by both parties. So why didn’t it happen?

Did the town manager not get the paperwork done? Did the selectmen, who oversee the town manager, not pursue the issue to ensure the transaction was completed?

The ball got dropped and we, the citizens, lost a valuable parcel of land, which would join the library parcel to the town office complex – good long range planning. Was this a situation where the board didn’t agree and therefore they let this happen? I don’t know the answer.

I feel we should renegotiate and increase the amount of the offer. A year has passed, real estate values have increased and Mr. Walker was doing the town a favor with the original price.

I intend to vote “no” on Article 23 and insist that negotiations begin in earnest.

A “yes” vote gives the selectmen $100,000 to use as the board sees fit with no further approval from the citizens. That’s not right. We need to demand accountability.
Susan J. Ellis, Poland

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