RUMFORD – The SAD 43 board on Monday decided not to take a stand on the Palesky tax-cap proposal.

This time, unlike the two previous times the issue was brought up, the board took a vote, 9-4, not to take a stand. Using a weighted vote, the tally was 644-358 against taking a position.

While some of those who decided not to take a stand were in favor of the tax-cap proposal, or undecided, others opposed the proposal but believed no vote should be taken if a large majority did not agree to the resolution prepared by Superintendent Jim Hodgkin.

Tracey Higley, a Rumford representative who at a meeting last month strongly argued for a resolution opposing the tax cap, voted not to take a vote if the result wasn’t a large majority against it.

Board Vice Chairman Mike Papsadora also agreed that taking a vote wouldn’t be a good idea.

“If we don’t have a strong enough showing, we shouldn’t make a stand,” he said.

Voting to take a stand were the Rumford representatives, board Chairwoman Linda Westleigh, Diane Paterson and Frank DiConzo; and Mexico board member Tammy MacDonald. Voting against taking a stand were Rumford representatives Chris Dickson, Higley, Papsadora and David McKivergan; Mexico members Betty Barrett, Frances DeFilipp and Peter Zanoni; Roxbury representative Mark Touchette and Byron member Anne Simmons-Edmunds.

Barrett said before the vote that she would not sign the resolution, even if most agreed to it.

“I can’t sign something I can’t stand for,” she said, adding that voters approved a referendum question last year guaranteeing that the state would pay 55 percent of education costs. “There was nothing in there about five years (to implement it). Every time we vote on something there’s some kind of excuse.”

Hodgkin said the best way to send a message to the state was to ask candidates running for a legislative seat how they intend to deal with tax relief.

“Tax relief is the biggest issue. I can’t imagine how people can go to the polls without knowing how candidates stand on it,” he said.

His proposal, slightly different from one distributed by Maine School Management, emphasized a lack of legislative initiative, which may have encouraged the tax-cap proposal going before voters in November. It also agreed that property taxes were unacceptably high. However, the resolution stated that the board could not support passage of the referendum.

Hodgkin has estimated that the district could lose nearly $4 million, or more if other tax-related funding factors are taken into consideration. That is about 22 percent of the current school year’s operating budget.