Jay opts to go with advisory vote on curbside pickup

JAY — After consultation with legal counsel, town officials have decided to move forward with an advisory vote to the select board on Nov. 3 that will offer voters two choices on curbside trash and recyclables collection: to privatize or to eliminate.

“The reason I think we should do this is several people came away from the meeting (on Monday) with different interpretations of what would be asked in November,” Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said. “We talked to legal counsel at (Maine Municipal Association) on how the process should go, and we determined this would allow the public the most input.”

About 40 people attended a selectpersons meeting Monday to discuss options on curbside collection.

If the town moved forward on a referendum vote on the issue, the choice would only be yes or no, she said.

By making it an advisory vote, residents attending a Wednesday, Sept. 23, public hearing on the matter will be able to give input on the format of the questions, she said.

The town will still follow a referendum process that provides for absentee voting and voting in secret at the polls.

The hearing is at 6 p.m. in the library at Spruce Mountain High School on Community Drive.

Voters will be asked in November:

“Would you prefer that the select board privatize the town’s curbside collection program to an outside company, paid by the town, to provide the same service the town currently provides, saving the town approximately $130,000 per year?”

Or, “Would you prefer that the select board eliminate the town’s curbside collection program, saving the town approximately $250,000 per year?”

If voters advise selectpersons to privatize the service, it would be the town that would pay for it, not the residents, LaFreniere said.

Town officials are looking at ways to reduce the municipal budget for next year.

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