DIXFIELD – A petition drive was launched Tuesday morning to oust Dixfield Town Manager Nanci Allard.

Petitioner Norine Clarke, a longtime Dixfield businesswoman, said the document asks the Board of Selectmen to terminate Allard’s contract.

Selectmen hired Allard, a former New Hampshire legislator, on Dec. 3, 2001, and signed a 3-year contract. She replaced Richard E. Robinson, who retired.

Clarke said Friday that she and a small group of Dixfield residents had “decided to give citizens here an opportunity to voice an opinion” through the petition.

“Nobody wanted it to come to this, but this will show selectmen that a preponderance of citizens has no confidence in her ability to do the job,” said Clarke, who chairs the Dixfield Economic Development Council and is a member of the town’s Finance Committee.

“There has been, from the beginning, a lack of confidence,” she added.

Allard was unavailable for comment Friday and did not return calls to her home.

Clarke declined to detail the reasons behind the petition drive, but she did say that petitioners have been going door-to-door in Dixfield soliciting signatures. So far, she said, “The response has been very good.”

It is not known how many signatures are needed to convince selectmen to look into the matter, but the petitions could be submitted to the board at its next regular meeting at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18.