MEXICO – Voters will decide Tuesday whether to accept or scrap an ordinance that would give Mexico a process for referendum-style town meetings.

It wouldn’t be called town meeting anymore, Town Manager John Madigan said Wednesday afternoon at the town office. Instead, the gathering in June would be a public hearing. A moderator would be elected to help direct municipal budget item discussions.

Next, rather than decide each item by a show of hands, the hearing would be closed and voting conducted by secret ballot at least 10 days later.

At the town meeting this past June a majority of voters chose to switch from open town meetings to the secret ballot method.

Article 3 asks, “Shall the town vote to enact the “Referendum Town Meeting Ordinance?” If it’s defeated by a majority, the town would still have a regular referendum-style town meeting, Madigan said.

“If they vote it down, we don’t have enough money to hold another election,” he said.

Town Clerk Penny Duguay said Wednesday afternoon that it cost $1,280 for 1,400 referendum ballots and to program the ballot-counting machine. Included in that cost is Article 2, which seeks to amend the land management ordinance to correct deficiencies.

Madigan and Duguay explained that they had 1,400 printed based on the previous turnout at the last gubernatorial election, which drew more than 1,000 Mexico residents.

According to the referendum town meeting ordinance’s purpose, it would:

• provide a reasonable comprehensive plan to smoothly transition between open town meeting and referendum town meeting;

• clarify, classify and consolidate the number and make-up of appropriation articles to be voted by secret ballot;

• enable continued funding of existing municipal services – without unnecessary disruption – should an appropriation article not be approved; and

• reduce the number of articles on which to be voted, by giving municipal officers the authority to act on routine administrative matters instead of voting on them annually at town meeting.

Article 2 changes the land management ordinance regarding space and bulk standards, because the rule now lacks provisions for nonconforming lots on the dimensional requirements page.

The polls open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, in the Calvin Lyons Hall in the municipal building.