I am very disappointed in the direction the needed ordinance for secret ballot has gone in Mexico.

At a recent meeting of the Mexico Planning Board, to which both the members of the referendum committee and selectmen were invited, Town Manager John Madigan presented an ordinance draft which was written by him. It did not contain any of the referendum committee’s work as we had written and of what we had requested.

It is hard for me to accept this proposed ordinance as it goes against the wishes of the people who voted for secret ballot. Also, it seems odd that the very person who has opposed secret ballot voting from Day One ends up being the sole author of the ordinance to enact it.

Stranger is the fact that another selectman/planning board member who has been especially vocal about his not wanting or liking secret ballot made the motion to accept the ordinance written by John Madigan. The motion passed and same person made a motion to end discussion. The motion passed.

Referendum committee members were left out, unable to speak. We had been told the Planning Board would write the ordinance with input from the referendum committee.

This ordinance does not go along with the wishes of the people who voted for secret ballot.

Marjorie Richard, Mexico