LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen voted 4-0 Monday to do away with the police county study and keep the local police force, Town Manager Kristal Flagg said Tuesday.

Voters directed selectmen last year to investigate alternative police coverage to see if it would save the town money.

“The board decided that we met the vote to check out other police departments,“ Chairman Bill Demaray said.

“We don’t think that shutting our department down will save us any money, so we voted to stop talking to the (Androscoggin County) Sheriff’s Department, and to see if we can make our Police Department as cost efficient as possible,” he said.

Police Chief Ernest Steward Jr. said previously he had used the county’s contract with Poland to do a comparison to the local contract and discovered it would cost more to go with the county.

Selectmen also refused to accept the resignation of police officer Steve Wilkinson, hoping the decision to keep the town force would cause him to stay, Flagg said. It was unknown Tuesday if he would.

The Police Department is down one officer to five, including the chief.

Flagg said after selectmen made their decision, there was clapping from the audience.

“I feel it is over for a while,” Chief Steward said Tuesday. “I feel there is nothing they can bring up that is of any significance that would change the results for cost savings with the county.”

“I’m just happy this is over and I can start building morale in the department again,” he said.

Selectman Alphonso Barker said Tuesday that in his opinion the wishes of the people have not been fully implemented.

“When you generate your numbers internally and don’t get them from the source, you don’t get a true account,” Barker said. “I hope the board has not burned bridges that cannot be rebuilt.”

“I’m just disappointed with the action taken. It seems very premature, Barker said.

The Budget Committee had wanted to cut the Police Department’s budget last year and voted in November 2010 to recommend that the town enter into a contract with Androscoggin County.

Former Town Manager Jim Chaousis also did a study of police services and also recommended going with the county to save money.

In another matter Monday, selectmen set Flagg’s salary at $500 a week to do the duties of town manager in addition to her town clerk/treasurer’s duties until June 30.

The board also set her salary at $53,000 for the first year, beginning July 1, she said.

Flagg refused to take a cell phone stipend and car expense stipend, she said. If she has a class out of town, she’ll be reimbursed for mileage, she said. Other than that, she said she will not accept money for mileage.

The board approved a three-year contract for Flagg that will run from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2014.

She will be on probation until June, just like other newly hired employees, which will give each party a chance to make sure they are happy, Flagg said.

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