OXFORD — Firefighters have hired an attorney to investigate whether the town violated the law last summer by failing to give residents the chance to debate whether the fire chief’s job should be changed from elected to appointed. 

Two firefighters, who said they represent about two dozen from the municipal force, have hired a private attorney to obtain selectmen meeting minutes from town records last spring to determine whether the town scheduled an official hearing to weigh the merits of the proposed change. 

Oxford firefighters Zac Creps and Mark Blaquiere said in an interview Tuesday that between the spring of 2014 and the town meeting months later in June, selectmen, at the advice of the town manager, were obligated under statute to hold a public hearing so residents could voice their opinions on the issue. 

Their latest decision to hire a lawyer was made only after other avenues for recourse were exhausted. So far, about 24 firefighters have contributed a total of $600 to cover legal fees, and others have promised more as needed, they said. 

“We want transparency in the town,” Creps said. “We want someone who gets the job to be good at it, not just (a) yes man.” 

While it was not clear what outcome the fact-finding endeavor could have, the move represents the latest chapter in a back-and-forth disagreement between members of the Fire Department and Oxford Town Manager Michael Chammings. It’s been raging for the past several months over a June vote by residents to amend the fire chief’s position from elected by residents to appointed by a town panel. 

In October, Creps and a number of firefighters backed fire Chief Scott Hunter to stay on as fire chief when the position transitions from elected to appointed. He said, however, that he doubts Hunter will be chosen as the next fire chief when the town manager is part of the deciding body, a consequence of stances he’s taken.

By failing to hold a public hearing, they said, voters were deprived the chance to learn about the situation, including past sparring between Chammings and Hunter that played out as a tale of safety-versus-business concerns. 

Chammings previously said the town did not hold a public hearing, a point he drove home again Tuesday, and was under no legal obligation to do so. He confirmed receiving the emailed Freedom of Access Act request on March 3. 

“What people don’t see is, Scott and I get along 85 percent of the time,” Chammings said. “When somebody is going beyond their authority, it is my job to step up and say, ‘We’re not going to do this.’ Is it personal? Absolutely not.” 

Citing state law on public notifications, Chammings said a lawyer for the town advised that the warrant — a document approved by selectmen and calling residents to a town meeting — was sufficient legal notification for a secret ballot referendum.

Messages left with the Maine Municipal Association were not returned Tuesday. 

Hunter is in the third and final year of his term. He said will apply for the position, which comes open this year. 

Towns will often hold public hearings on potentially controversial topics, and advertise their date and time in local newspapers. Sun Journal and Advertiser Democrat records indicate that Oxford never bought space in the paper for such an announcement.

Chammings downplayed the controversy and said the current debate was manufactured by a “noisy” minority of firefighters.  

He noted the decision to change the position was not borne out of a personal vendetta against Hunter but the necessity to modernize an expensive, growing Fire Department and create a dedicated full-time position for an expanding town.

Asked if he felt the decision not to hold a public hearing reflected the spirit of the law, Chammings said, “Everybody knew it was on the warrant. It was the talk of the town.” 

He said the measure passed by nearly a 2-to-1 ratio. 

“All we’re looking to do is get (Scott) a fair shot at the job,” Blaquiere said. 

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