PERU – Selectmen accepted with regret the resignation of Road Commissioner David Gammon on Monday night. The vote was 3-1 with Rodney Jamison the dissenter.

Gammon submitted his resignation at the Oct. 1 board meeting, but selectmen did not accept it and gave him time to reconsider.

According to the minutes of that meeting, which were approved Monday night, Gammon said he was “tired of being slammed, laughed at, a joke by the press. He gets questioned everywhere he goes, and he gets tired of it.”

Selectman Jim Pulsifer said Gammon called him Friday night and said he wouldn’t be back. He thanked Gammon for his years of service to the town.

Gammon, whose position is an elected one by townspeople, has come under fire from selectmen in the past over his recordkeeping. And in early June, two board members resigned after all bids for a $400,000 road-improvement project were thrown out and the contract given to Gammon because he said he could do it cheaper.

Last month, there were complaints from residents and Pulsifer that the project had taken too much of Gammon’s time, leaving other town roads in bad shape. Gammon responded then that he hoped to have most of the work done by the end of October.

“The best move we can make is to have a selectman in charge as acting road commissioner, Pulsifer said Monday night, and he moved to have Chairman Bill Scott take the position since he knows about roads.

Jamison objected, saying Scott needed to lead the board.

The first vote was 2-2.

“I just want to take some action,” Selectman Corey Jacques said. “It’s sad that we should be left in this position. I’m getting calls every day on the road situation.”

He asked whether Scott would bring major decisions to the board for a vote.

They all agreed that would be the procedure.

Jamison said he was concerned that Pulsifer would take over the board.

Scott explained to Jamison that he was inexperienced and leaned heavily on Pulsifer’s experience as well as all the board members and the office staff.

The second vote was 4-0 to have Scott as acting road commissioner until the town could decide whether to change the road commissioner position from being elected by townspeople to being appointed by selectmen.

Jacques questioned the legality of Scott being a selectman and working part-time for Vaughn & Sons Trucking of Peru, which does road work for the town.

Pulsifer said Scott would only be acting commissioner in emergency situations. Scott’s pay will be determined after Town Clerk Vera Parent checks with Maine Municipal Association.

The board agreed that the road crew should consist of three workers. The town will advertise for one full-time permanent worker and one full-time temporary worker. Pay would be commensurate with qualifications. Applications will be available immediately.