LIVERMORE — At a special meeting Monday, April 5, Selectpersons voted to change the month of the annual town meeting in future years and seek voter approval on how the treasurer position is filled at the Annual Town Meeting.

A decision on when the town meeting will be held this year is expected at the board meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 26. The date of that meeting was changed due to a work conflict for a board member.

The vote to change the town meeting from June to April going forward was unanimous.

“We’d be voting with the school so we would save money there,” Selectperson Mark Chretien said.

Residents being in town only part of the year was a concern of Selectperson Tracey Martin.

Before town meeting was changed to June it used to be held in March, Selectperson Scott Richmond said.

“We need to be able to do town business,” Selectperson Brett Deyling said. “If we don’t have a budget until June or July we’re screwing ourselves.”

It’s up to the board to decide when town meeting is held, Administrative Assistant to the Selectpersons Aaron Miller said.

“If you do decide to change, there are some ripple effects that may happen,” he said. Terms for selectpersons was one example given.

“Any ripple effects you may see down the road, you would want to have more articles to address those,” Miller said.

“Everything has to be on this town meeting’s warrant, make sure everything is in line,” Richmond said.

Jay has had town meetings in April and June, holding it recently by a referendum ballot vote, Miller said. Jay’s town manager said they settled on April because it allows additional time to revote, he noted.

Additional reasons shared for holding the town meeting in April include:

• Regional School Unit 73 holds the budget vote then.

• More citizens vote when the two votes are on the same day, giving a truer picture of what taxes are made up of for the town and the school.

• It takes longer to vote when the town meeting and June primary are on the same day.

Livermore Selectpersons have indicated they favor an in-person town meeting over a referendum ballot vote.

Having town meeting in April would help when contracting for planned road work, Chretien said.

In the matter of the treasurer’s position, Miller said it needs to be voted on by the legislative body at town meeting. Putting it on this year’s warrant made sense, he noted.

“The treasurer would finish out her term, then come the next town meeting you would appoint someone,” he said.

Current treasurer, Mary Castonguay was appointed to the position in November following the resignation of Amy Byron. Byron, who lives in Livermore, was elected treasurer in 2014.

“Mary has to take out papers and run for one year,” Richmond said. “When we appoint somebody for the school committee it’s only for that year.”

It’s not the same process, Miller said. He was asked to get clarification.

“Even if she has to run, it would only be for one year to finish out the term,” Miller said.

The vote found Richmond the only selectperson opposed to the change.

At the 2016 town meeting, articles that would have changed the treasurer and town clerk positions from elected to appointed were voted down.

“I argued and argued that,” he said.

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