RANGELEY — The Board of Selectmen declined a petition Monday, March 3, seeking to change the June town meeting from secret ballot format to an open meeting format. The town has conducted town meetings by secret ballot at the polls since 2017.

The petition was received by the town and included 86 valid signatures. Selectmen deferred acting on the petition during their Tuesday, Feb. 18 meeting while they awaited clarification from legal council and full board attendance.

Petitioner Chris Farmer said the petition was presented to address an issue that had been long talked about since the meeting format was switched.

“By doing this by secret ballot, it is binary. It’s either yes, you approve the article or no, you don’t approve,” he said at the Feb. 18 meeting. “By having it in open town format, that allows you to discuss, it allows you to look at what has been recommended by the board, it allows you to look at what has been recommended by the budget committee, it allows questions to be asked and then a vote determined at that meeting.”

“The decision to make the town meeting an open meeting or by secret ballot lies exclusively with the Board of Selectmen,” Town Manager Joe Roach said at the time, reading from a legal opinion provided by Stephen Langsdorf of PretiFlaherty.

On Monday, the board was presented with a second legal opinion from PretiFlaherty. The opinion stated, in part, “Our opinion is that the Select Board should exercise its discretion to reasonably refuse this petition, because only the Select Board, and not the town meeting, has the authority to determine whether a particular business article is considered by an open meeting or by secret ballot.”

Roach said the opinion reinforced what he said at the previous meeting.

“It is the Board of Selectmen’s discretion  to  determine the format of how the town meeting will be called,” he said.

Farmer questioned if the legal opinion was sought from Maine Municipal Association, as the board had discussed at the previous meeting.

“The confusing part of that, for me, is that back in 2016, there was a formal vote to decide whether or not to do secret ballot. That was put on the town meeting [warrant] and a decision was made,” he continued.

Farmer said that when the format was changed, he recollected discussion that a vote by citizens could change the format back to open meeting.

“I implore you to consider doing some polling asking an advisory question to give you more insight,” Farmer said.

He said suggested having the question spelled out clearly and not “be buried with 20 other business articles that people automatically check ‘yes’ on.”

Farmer continued by suggesting some articles could be done by secret ballot, including officer elections and articles addressing donations. Articles pertaining to town operations could be addressed in open meeting format because it allows for budget adjustments.

“I think one of the reasons there is what I call a ‘budget creep’ that has happened, especially in fire, safety and police, is that people think that if they vote down the budget of the police and fire department, then there is no money. That is not accurate.

Under state law, you have to operate within the previous year’s budget for 90 days.

Farmer said the two public hearings held prior to the town meeting are not well attended. “The second one is just a reading. We can’t change anything, or do anything or fix anything,” he said.

“I respect the legal opinion you have. I don’t believe anyone in this room believed that was an advisory article. I think that was news to everybody. I think the petition would still have some usefulness if it was included on the April 8 warrant just to get a pulse,” said Mark Beauregard. “I don’t think there is any harm done to include it and state it is advisory so people would know it was non-binding.”

“For us to assume how voters vote once they get into the booth… there is no way for us to know how people vote when they are in there,” said vice-chairman Ethan Shaffer. “Less than a year ago, this was on the ballot when people thought it was a binding question. It was voted in.”

Cyndy Egan said donation articles could continue to be decided by secret ballot. “Things have changed. My thought is that this could be an educational opportunity. If this is on the April 8 warrant or if there is separate discussion on what the petition is, there could be more education as to what the possibilities and opportunities are for a town meeting to be hybrid.

Selectman Sam White said, “I appreciate your passion and determination to get more people involved. The process is a good one that we have right now.”

“I do believe Chris is correct that that question needs to be reworded,” Shaffer said. “Do I know how it needs to be reworded? Not yet. I have heard over the years folks, who lean the direction that Chris, Mark and Cyndy have expressed, have said we should make the question a little easier to understand.”

Shaffer suggested drawing attention to the question and its impacts by in advance of the town meeting in order to inform voters to pay special attention to the question.

“At a minimum, in June, it should be a separate question, clearly outlined,” Farmer said. “I’d prefer to do it the way I proposed, a different format meeting. Vote in elected officers, vote on standard business articles and on donations. But the budget articles could be held in an open format.”

When asked if the question could be raised to the top of the ballot, Roach said selecting a moderator would be the first item of business, even though the meeting would be held by secret ballot.

“You could move it closer to the top but I think there is some merit to the discussion on if you really want it on your ballot or not. You have time to talk about that. If it weren’t on the ballot, which my advise would be probably not, you could certainly do a straw poll, an exit poll at the door.”

Keith Savage said a hybrid meeting could show a large variance in the numbers of people voting by secret ballot and attending an open meeting later to address budget articles.

“I think people are comfortable with secret ballot based I think public meetings are swayed or people aren’t quite as comfortable to raise their hand. I think it is biased, or pressured a little bit. That is my opinion,” he said.

Information is largely available, he continued. The Board of Selectmen packet is posted on the town’s website prior to each meeting. All town department meetings are held via Zoom and recordings are made available shortly after.

“If people want information it is accessible,” he said. ”

Savage continued by stating public hearings for the annual town meeting should be held in a larger venue. “The town office conference room doesn’t hold a lot of people. I wonder if that sways people from not attending these meetings. I would suggest, through our budget process, that in the future we hold the public portion at the school or something, where we have a larger area and it is more inviting,” he said.

Farmer said that even if the budget articles were held in an open meeting format, closed ballot vote on the articles after discussion. “It’s not secret ballot, it is written ballot. You eliminate the intimidation factor,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to reject the petition.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

On Monday March 17, two public hearings will be held beginning at 5 p.m. at Rangeley Lakes Regional School in the multipurpose room. The first public hearing will address an upcoming special town meeting, at be held at the Rangeley Town Office April 8, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The purpose of the special town meeting is to see if all Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Police Department overdrafts will be closed from the town’s unassigned fund balance.

The second public hearing will allow voters to share input on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant.

Following the public hearings, the board will hold a regular meeting which will include by presentations for budget requests from non-profit organizations.

The annual town meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 10 at the town office. Polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

NOMINATION PAPERS

Nomination papers for terms expiring June 30 are available at the town office. Completed papers are due at the Town Office by Thursday, April 10.

There are two 3-year terms Board of Selectmen seats that up for election. Those seats are currently held by Ethan Schaffer and Samantha White.

The Budget Committee and Sewer Committee each have two 3-year terms each that will be expiring at the end of the fiscal year. One 3-year term on the Parks Commission will be expiring.