MECHANIC FALLS – The Town Council has opted to change the annual town meeting to a Saturday, instead of holding it midweek.
As of 2006, voters will be asked to conduct town business on the second Saturday in May. Councilors unanimously agreed this week to change the town charter in hopes of drawing better attendance.
The change does not affect this year’s meeting, which will be the third Tuesday evening in May. Logistics of when to hold ballot elections for local offices need to be worked out before making the change for next year.
Councilors rejected a suggestion to change the town meeting to a Saturday in March. Councilman Oliver Emery questioned whether a weekend in May, when the weather turns nice, would draw a crowd.
“Maybe it will rain that Saturday,” Emery said.
School Union 29 Superintendent Nina Schlikin asked to keep the town meeting in May. In a letter to the council, Schlikin cited the difficulties of preparing two different school budgets at the same time and the uncertainties of state Department of Education funding so early in the year as reasons to avoid a March meeting.
School Union 29 consists of Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland. Poland holds its town meeting in April and Minot has its in March.
“Additionally, it may be helpful for you to be aware that March is very premature in terms of any accuracy around state funding figures and presents a challenge every March in Minot,” stated Schlikin in her letter.
A letter from Maine Municipal Association Legal Services advised the council that it could deal with state education funding changes in specific warrant articles. The articles could allow for state funding increases or decreases that occur after the town meeting.
However, William W. Livengood, director of legal services for MMA, stated in that letter that the trend in Maine is for towns to move their entire budget processes to May or June so that accurate state funding figures are known.
From 1991 to 1999, Mechanic Falls held its town meeting on a Saturday in June, according to town records. The largest attendance during that period was 164.
The town has since held its meeting on a Tuesday evening in May. The highest attendance since then was in 2001, when 140 voters showed up.
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