DIXFIELD – Selectmen held an hour-long closed session Monday night following their regular meeting to discuss a grievance filed against the town by its former police sergeant.

Town Manager Tom Richmond said the grievance by Mark Dow of Rumford was filed under the town’s personnel policy. The police department is not unionized.

Richmond said a letter was sent to Dow on Tuesday. He declined to provide details on the letter’s contents. That letter must be responded to within five days.

Dow, who had been out on sick leave for about six months, was replaced earlier this month. The application of the town’s personnel policy as it relates to sick leave is in dispute, as are several other matters where Dow and the town disagree, such as sick and vacation time, and whether the physical restrictions he has been on have anything to do with his ability to do police work.

Dow said Wednesday night that he plans to request a hearing before selectmen. Whether he will have his lawyer with him at that time hasn’t been determined.

“The termination was improper. They haven’t done what they need to do,” he said, adding that he’d like the entire termination procedure examined.

In other matters, the town Finance Committee was to meet Wednesday night to get an overview of the upcoming budget development process for fiscal 2009.

Richmond said the committee will meet again in February while selectmen will meet every Monday to work on the budget and to continue negotiations with the public works union.

He said everything is on the table for action or elimination because of the tiny amount of increase the town is allowed under the tax cap law. The town’s fiscal 2008 budget of $1,998,217 can be raised only $15,000 in the next fiscal year.

In a related matter, John O’Donnell of New Gloucester, who is conducting the property revaluation, will attend next Monday’s meeting to provide a time table for completion and the dates new values can be challenged.

Richmond said the $29.50 per $1,000 tax rate will likely drop about $10 when the value of properties will be raised from 70 percent to 100 percent. Generally, one-third of property owners pay more taxes, one-third pay less, and one-third pay about the same, he said, whenever a revaluation is conducted.

This year, for the first time, people will have the annual town report with warrant articles in hand prior to May’s annual town meeting.

“We believe residents should have that information early,” said Richmond.

Usually, voters see the warrant for the first time, except for the required posting, on the night of the town meeting.

Only last minute warrant articles will be added after the annual report is printed and distributed.