DIXFIELD – Three hours into Dixfield’s town meeting on Thursday night, a majority of voters chose to keep the four-man police department intact rather than eliminate it entirely or go with a three-man force.

But before that final 67-59 tally came – approving Chief Richard A. Pickett’s initiated budget request of $290,769 – two amendments had to be defeated.

Residents also had to endure more than two hours of discussion, a power outage, a tie vote, contested ballots, primaries-style voting, secret ballots, and even voting on how to vote.

And that was just on Article 6 of the 41-article warrant, the second money article to be considered after starting at 6 p.m. inside SAD 21’s Dirigo Middle School gym.

After spending four minutes to approve an executive department budget of $272,904, moderator Donald Roach broached Article 6, which would determine whether voters wanted a three-person department without 24-hour police coverage or the status quo.

Pickett was first to rise and motion to go with his initiated request over the $237,810 recommended by both the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee.

Just as quick, another man stood and amended that to $100,000, which would have reduced the force to a one-person department if OK’d and prevented him from responding on off hours.

Discussion then ensued on the amendment, but went wildly off topic into discussion on whether to disband the police department and go with county coverage, or start charging Peru, Canton and Carthage $200 an hour when Dixfield officers were sent to those three towns.

After being allowed to respond, Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant of Rumford said there was no money in his budget to take over police coverage in Dixfield. He also said response times could be two hours or more, because he only has four deputies working at night covering more than 2,700 square miles.

Pickett was then pressed for answers about a variety of issues before a show of hands defeated the $100,000 amendment. Another amendment was made, this time to go with the $237,810. Discussion then shifted to trying a three-person department again, which was tried unsuccessfully in the past.

“It doesn’t take people long to figure out when you don’t have 24-hour police coverage, because then the crime floodgates open,” Pickett said.

He then continued talking into an over-amped microphone, his voice reverberating around the gym. Pickett said selectmen had previously OK’d a fourth patrolman, then, when he went on vacation, changed their minds. He also told people they’d only be saving $24 by going with a three-person force, money that would be lost elsewhere in the warrant.

Just before 8 p.m., Roach twice asked for a show of hands to decide the amendment before it was decided to vote by paper ballot. During the process the power went out and stayed out for 12 minutes, after which, Roach announced that the ballot process was being contested even before they got tallied. So, out went the uncounted ballots and a revote was held, but this time, people had to line up and get their names checked off the voter registration lists just to vote.

Thirty minutes later, Roach announced the tally as a tie at 62 and the amendment was defeated.

After more discussion and voting on how to vote, another secret ballot was held on Pickett’s original motion.

“If it’s a tie or a no vote, the police department gets no money,” Town Manager Tom Richmond said as the last vote was cast.

Pickett’s motion, however, passed and no one contested the tally this time.