RUMFORD – The dust is still settling after Thursday night’s surprise decision by two Rumford selectmen to dismiss two others and reprimand a third.

In the meantime, Town Manager Jim Doar said municipal business must go on. So a special board meeting has been set for 4 p.m. Friday, March 14, to sign the warrant and take care of a couple of other matters.

That is, if the three remaining selectmen attend the meeting.

Selectman Mark Belanger, who was reprimanded for not following proper procedure, was believed to be out of town Friday and could not be reached by Doar. Belanger is also the selectman named at the board’s January reorganizational meeting assigned to sign payroll checks.

Doar said all employees will be paid.

The warrant, however, is another matter.

Doar said this week’s warrant is for about $200,000 in bills for such things as cleaning, garbage removal, computer repairs, oil and equipment. Doar said some bills give the town 30 days to pay so paying them should not be a problem.

Thursday’s board meeting adjourned at 9 p.m. after Selectmen Greg Buccina and Brad Adley voted to dismiss Arthur Boivin and Frank DiConzo and reprimand Belanger. Their action followed presentations of several complaints against the three by five Rumford residents.

Boivin said Friday afternoon that he’s not sure what action, if any, he will take to fight the dismissal for not following procedure in hiring town attorney Tom Carey to represent the board at a Feb. 19 Board of Appeals hearing. He said the letter, which he circulated to Belanger and DiConzo for signing, was sent to Buccina, not Doar.

He said he believes Thursday night’s action was illegal.

DiConzo, dismissed on the same accusations, was in Rumford Hospital, according to an e-mail received Friday by the Sun Journal from Rumford resident Kevin Saisi. DiConzo could not be contacted.

Buccina based his vote to dismiss the three on a state statute which allows a plurality vote, he said. That means that action can be taken when a plurality of votes are cast by those eligible to vote, he added. Because the complaints were lodged against DiConzo, Boivin and Belanger, they could not vote on discipline.

Doar said a precedent using plurality took place last year when only two selectmen voted on granting a liquor license.

However, town attorney Carey disagrees with the plurality matter.

He said Friday afternoon that the vote was illegal because the town charter requires a quorum of three to make any decisions.

He said home rule, such as the charter, trumps state statute.

He said he believes appeals will be made, but none of the three selectmen have taken that step.

“There should be some consideration to rescind their vote,” he said of Buccina and Adley’s decision.

Joseph Roberts, chairman of the Board of Appeals, said his board would have 10 days to set a hearing if any of the three decide to appeal the decision.

Although Doar said he doesn’t believe a section of the charter was intended to remove selectmen, a precedent was set last month when a majority of the board voted to remove all members of the Charter Commission. Commission members are a combination of elected and appointed residents.

Doar said he is taking a wait-and-see approach to finding a way to continue municipal business. If necessary, he said a special election could be called to fill the two seats.

But in the meantime, he said, a budget must be developed.

Firefighter Jason Jolin said he believes there will be “hell to pay” for the action taken on Thursday, while resident Terry Parise was more diplomatic.

“They all have their own mind. Maybe they are right, Maybe they are wrong. I hope it all comes out OK,” he said.