RUMFORD – Selectmen narrowly approved an amendment to the town’s charter on Wednesday that, if passed in November, would change the way residents adopt a municipal budget.

Chairman Jim Rinaldo, Selectmen Jolene Lovejoy and Mark Belanger voted in favor of placing the question before the public, and Selectmen Greg Buccina and Arthur Boivin voted against the secret-ballot question.

If voters approve the ballot question on Nov. 7, the following would happen:

• residents will no longer discuss and vote on the municipal budget or warrant articles at an annual town meeting; public informational meetings would be held to discuss such articles.

• all money articles would appear on a written ballot for voters to decide; this year’s town meeting included 45 articles.

• if a particular municipal budget article is turned down, the amount of funding for that article will be one-twelfth of the previous year’s budget until a new figure is approved. Selectmen would be required to propose a new figure within 10 days, then residents would vote on it.

• if an initiated article is turned down, money requested for the year would be zero; initiated articles are requests by social service agencies, such as SeniorsPlus and Western Maine Transportation, or other nonmunicipal entities such as the Greater Rumford Community Center, Black Mountain of Maine or transportation for students to St. Athanasius and St John School.

• if the money recommended by the selectmen and Finance Committee for an item differs, then both dollar amounts would appear on the ballot.

The actual nine-page town charter amendment will not appear on November’s ballot; instead, a summary question will appear for residents to vote on. A copy of the amendment will be posted at the polls.

If passed, the new way of adopting a municipal budget will go into effect within 90 days of November’s vote, said Jennifer Kreckel, the town’s lawyer.

Wednesday’s public hearing was the only one to be held on the ballot question that could end the traditional town meeting, Rinaldo said. Copies of the proposed charter amendment are available at the town office.

About a dozen residents appeared to ask questions or propose alternatives to the draft prepared by Kreckel.

Ron Russell, a member of the town’s Finance Committee suggested that only articles 3 percent above the current level, or of $100,000 or more be decided by written ballot, leaving the rest to be voted on at a traditional town meeting.

Eugene Boivin, a newly elected member of the town’s Charter Commission and a former selectman, advocated retention of the traditional town meeting, but instead of voting by a show of hands, he recommended that articles be voted on by secret ballot during the meeting.

If residents approve the secret ballot vote, it would be binding for one year, Kreckel said. Any changes, such as consolidating some of the articles into one, could be made in that time.

The proposed change started a few months ago when a some people circulated a petition. At that time, about 1,200 signatures were gathered.