PARIS – A $300 bill from the town attorney ignited tempers on the Board of Selectmen on Monday.
While approving the payment of bills and salaries, Selectman Raymond Glover noticed the town was charged $225 and $300 for two consultations with town attorney Alan Perry. The first charge was for a consultation during an executive session, Town Manager Sharon Jackson said. The second was for consultation between Perry and Selectmen Gerald Kilgore and Barbara Payne.
“I have a problem with that,” Glover said, adding that he was unaware of the board’s having approved the consultation. He asked pointedly whether he should feel entitled to speak with the town attorney at the taxpayers’ expense when he feels the need for legal aid.
“You would if there was something wrong with this board, and there is something seriously wrong with this board,” Kilgore retorted. He later added that he would “pay for it out of my pocket.”
Selectman Bruce Hanson made a motion that the $300 consultation fee be excluded from the other expenditures being discussed. He accused “somebody” of “going behind somebody’s back with a conspiracy,” and said selectmen should get legal advice by asking the town manager to consult with the Maine Municipal Association.
The board voted 4-0 in favor of Hanson’s motion, with Kilgore abstaining.
The board then voted 4-0 to approve the other expenditures, Kilgore again abstaining.
After the meeting, Payne said she and Kilgore consulted with the town attorney on a variety of issues.
“I was rather surprised to see that the town was billed for it, quite frankly,” she said.
Payne has in the past raised objections to the board’s manner of conducting business and suggested members have violated the Freedom of Access law.
Also on Monday, Payne said she has been unable to locate copies of audit reports on the town finances dating back to 2000, or information on the auditing companies.
“I hope in the future that this board will be more aware of the audits, how they are conducted and how they are reported. Without the audits it is very difficult to get into the new year’s budget,” she said.
Jackson said the town is supposed to print notification of which auditing firm is reviewing the town’s records in the annual town report.
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