PARIS — An attempt to set a recall election for two selectmen fizzled Monday after one board member said he would not support the effort unless separate dates were set for each official.

The special selectmen’s meeting occurred at the end of a deadline set by a recall ordinance approved by voters last month. On Nov. 23, the board voted to accept petitions that supported setting a recall election for Chairman David Ivey and Vice Chairman Troy Ripley. The ordinance states that selectmen must schedule a recall election within 14 days of the receipt of a petition.

Selectmen Raymond Glover and Lloyd “Skip” Herrick supported scheduling the election for both Ivey and Ripley on Thursday, Jan. 14. Ivey and Ripley abstained from the vote, and the motion did not carry after selectman Glen Young said he would only support the scheduling of a vote if separate elections were set for Ivey and Ripley.

Young proposed setting Ivey’s recall election on Tuesday, Jan. 26, and Ripley’s recall election on Friday, Feb. 5.

“I’m against the recall. I think it’s stupid,” Young said. “I think these guys ought to have an individual chance.”

Glover accused Young of trying to stall a recall vote for the two selectmen, and said that two separate elections would be “wasteful.” Herrick said he was in favor of holding both votes, along with pending recall elections for himself and Glover, on one day because it would be more convenient for voters and be more cost-effective.

“I guess I just don’t understand why we would put the citizens and voters of this town through anything but one vote,” Herrick said.

Ivey said the ordinance does not specify whether multiple elections can be scheduled if more than one selectman is subject to recall, and criticized the document as “very poorly crafted.”

After Glover unsuccessfully suggested setting Tuesday, Jan. 12, for an election, Herrick asked whether the elections for Glover and himself could be set to coincide with Young’s proposed dates if they were accepted. Ivey said those elections could not be scheduled on Monday because the petitions have not yet been received by the board. Ripley said he would tentatively support having recall elections for two selectmen on two separate dates.

“It’s better than to leave it wide open and not have anything set,” Glover said. “That adds all kinds of problems.”

However, Glover said he was still concerned that one of Young’s proposed dates is a Friday while another is a Tuesday. He motioned to adjourn the meeting with no decision after Young confirmed that Jan. 26 and Feb. 5 were the only dates he would consider.

The recall petitions for Ivey, who was elected in 2007, and Ripley, who was elected in June, state that the signing voters have “lost confidence” in the two officials. The town clerk has also certified petitions calling for the recall of Glover, who has been on the board since 1993, and Herrick, who was elected last year. These petitions state that the signing voters have “lost faith in (the selectmen’s) ability to make important decisions and act faithfully in the best interest of the whole town of Paris.”

According to the recall ordinance, officials subject to recall may request a public hearing to take place no fewer than one week before the recall election. If residents vote to recall the official at the special election, they are immediately removed from their position; if not, the official would not be subject to a recall petition for at least six months.

Interim Town Manager Michael Thorne said he was unsure what action the board would take regarding a recall election for Ivey and Ripley. He said selectmen will vote at their next meeting on Dec. 14 whether to accept petitions for the recall of Glover and Herrick, and could schedule those elections the same night. He said the board might schedule an election for Ivey and Ripley at that meeting as well.

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