MEXICO – It was standing-room only at Wednesday night’s Mexico selectmen meeting with about 30 people crammed into the small town office conference room.
Some, who came to speak about the night’s only hot topic – a petition to try secret ballot voting on town meeting budget – even stood in the hall outside during the 60-minute discussion.
Four hundred signatures were gathered on Election Day by petitioner Marjorie Richard – though only 107 were needed – to allow people to vote in the privacy of the voting booth on the day of municipal elections, rather than by show of hands at the previous day’s town meeting.
For several meetings the legality of the petition has been debated. In question is the wording on the document, which is not written as a warrant article. And despite the displeasure of the Mexico Taxpayers Association, which is behind the petition drive, selectmen Wednesday agreed only to take the matter under advisement, giving themselves time to research the issue before deciding whether or not to place the matter before voters in June.
Selectman Chairman Barbara Laramee repeated numerous times during the meeting that the board was not going to be rushed into a decision. A decision could come in April, but Laramee and Byam said they expected the board to act sooner.
The petitioners maintain an April decision against the petition would leave the group no time to collect the 107 signatures needed to get it on the warrant.
Association spokeswoman Monique Aniel, who has repeatedly pressured selectmen for answers at past meetings, tried unsuccessfully to get Laramee to admit that selectmen were not going to decide the matter before April.
“By telling people that you’re not going to answer potentially until April, you’re rejecting this and forcing us to work on a new petition,” said Taxpayers spokesman Monique Aniel.
“We are not telling you we are not going to do it. We are basically looking for information. If you feel you have to do another petition, you’re free to do it,” Byam said.
One man said, “The majority of the people have spoken, and it’s the select board’s duty to take the people’s word and put it on the ballot. Let the people vote. Don’t stall.”
Laramee said the board isn’t stalling.
“It’s not pleasant to be told we’re not doing our job. I need to feel that I’ve looked into it, and gave people information and researched it . . . We need to have dialogue so we can do the right thing for our town,” she said.
Laramee ended further discussion by moving on to the next agenda item, which prompted everyone to leave noisily, forcing a five-minute break.
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