DIXFIELD — The board of selectmen voted Monday evening to decide the town’s 2014/2015 municipal budget at the polls following the town meeting as opposed to voting by a show of hands at the town meeting.

Selectmen have been discussing which method to use since last year’s town meeting when a straw poll indicated that a majority of residents preferred to vote on the budget at the polls after the town meeting.

During a Feb. 26 public hearing at Dirigo High School, residents reiterated that they wished to debate the budget proposals at a town meeting and then vote on the budget items in June.

Chairman Mac Gill said Tuesday morning that the selectmen would “attempt to vote for the budget items in June,” which would require a number of adjustments in the town’s usual budget process.

“We’ll be doubling down on all of our budget meetings so we can have our budget proposals ready for April,” Gill said. “We’re hoping to hold our town meeting sometime after the middle of April, and since we need a 45-day period to advertise for the town meeting, we need to get going on the budget meetings.”

Gill explained that the April town meeting would be similar to the town meetings the town has held in the past with the difference being that there would be no “show-of-hand” vote after each item.

“We would present one set of numbers from the selectmen and one set from the Finance Committee to the residents at the town meeting,” Gill said. “We’ll have a debate and figure out a single number to vote on in June.”

mdaigle@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link