STRONG — The Board of Selectmen held a five-minute emergency meeting Wednesday night and voted unanimously to seek legal counsel to deal with a lawsuit filed against it and Franklin County commissioners.

Through the lawsuit filed in Franklin County Superior Court, Wendall Voter, Mahlon Voter and Vernon Voter seek to resolve an abatement issue regarding the assessment of their properties on Church Hill, said Milt Baston, chairman of the board.

Within the past year, the board denied the abatement causing the Voters to take their case to the Franklin County Commission that took no action on the case.

The next step is court action, which brings it back to the Strong board as listed in the lawsuit.

The commissioners failed to act within 60-days on the brothers’ request for abatements because they felt there were more legal issues that needed to be resolved and that they should refer their grievances to the court system, Commissioner Gary McGrane said later Wednesday night.

“They are not seeking a monetary amount,” McGrane said.

He expects the commissioners will discuss the issue at their next meeting on Tuesday, July 6, but he would like to ask the court to relieve the commissioners from being named in the lawsuit.

The Strong selectmen couldn’t wait till their next meeting. They have 20 days to respond to the lawsuit and three days have already passed, Baston told the board.

The board has been dealing with the abatement issue for about a year.

“We couldn’t settle the matter,” Baston said.

Baston will seek legal counsel for the town tomorrow. Board members refrained from providing any additional information until they obtain counsel.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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