PARIS — The Board of Selectmen chose a chairman and vice-chairman for the next year after a contentious process at the end of a lengthy meeting.

Raymond Glover remained chairman after a written vote, and Ted Kurtz was chosen as vice-chairman in a hand vote. The selections were the first ones done with a fully constituted board this year.

Such votes have been done by a show of hands in recent years, but Kurtz said the vote needed to be done by written ballot per state law. Glover said the statute referred to a written ballot process if a chairman was not designated, but agreed to a ballot after Kurtz said the language referred to whether or not a chairman was designated by voters at the annual town meeting.

“My motive is we follow state law, and state law is perfectly clear,” Kurtz said.

In the anonymous written ballot, four selectmen voted for Glover and one voted for Selectman Lloyd “Skip” Herrick.

“Guess who didn’t vote for himself,” Glover said.

A written vote for the vice-chairman grew more complicated, with one selectman voting for Herrick and two selectmen each voting for Kurtz and selectwoman Jean Smart. Kurtz said the statute called for the town clerk to draw a name by lot in the event of a tie, drawing protests from the audience.

Kurtz conceded that the statute referred to a process for selecting a chairman and didn’t stipulate a process for a vice-chairman. Glover said that by Maine Municipal Association rules, the board can choose amongst themselves.

Selectman Ken West motioned to name Kurtz the vice-chairman, and Herrick seconded. The motion was approved by their votes as well as Glover’s.

The board also approved one-year appointments for several town officer positions. They include Elizabeth Knox as town clerk, Gerald Samson as code enforcement officer and building inspector, and Sharon Gendreau as deputy treasurer. A vote on approving appointments to town committees was tabled due to the length of the meeting and to allow time for more volunteers to submit their names.

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