PARIS — The Board of Selectmen accepted two more recall petitions against their members Monday, but could not come to a consensus on how to schedule an election or elections for the four selectmen now subject to possible removal.
The board accepted petitions against Selectmen Raymond Glover and Lloyd “Skip” Herrick and began discussions over setting an election date. However, only one person on the five-member board took part in that vote, so a quorum could not be reached on the issue.
In addition to Glover and Herrick, recall petitions have been filed against Chairman David Ivey and Selectman Troy Ripley. Those petitions were accepted at a meeting in November. A special selectmen’s meeting last week failed to set a recall election for either official after Glover and Herrick disagreed with Selectman Glen Young’s motion that elections be set for Ivey on Tuesday, Jan. 26, and for Ripley on Friday, Feb. 5. Glover and Herrick recommended a single vote to take place Thursday, Jan. 14.
Monday’s vote took place after a discussion over whether Young, who admitted to signing a petition calling for a recall election against Glover and Herrick, should not take part in the vote.
“I signed it right out in public,” Young said. “I don’t care who knows about it.”
Resident Robert Jewell said Young’s signing of the petition demonstrated bias according to town policy and Maine Municipal Association rules, and argued that Young should recuse himself from the vote.
“If someone signs something to have somebody removed, and now they’re going to vote on it to have them removed, there’s no way you can say there’s not bias there,” Jewell said.
Ripley said Young’s signature was not a significant enough factor to remove him from discussion, since it was in favor of calling an election for the potential recall of the two selectmen. Ripley said Young’s vote to set an election would not directly remove either Glover or Herrick.
Ripley also motioned to set one election for Glover and Herrick on Jan. 26 and another one for Ivey and himself on Feb. 5. He said that if an election is not scheduled in compliance with the recall ordinance, which passed at referendum vote last month, a notary could be called to set one.
“It’s kind of like you’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t,” he said. “I would recommend that you be damned if you do, which is be in compliance with the ordinance.”
Ripley voted in favor of his motion, but Young and Ivey abstained, with Ivey saying he could not take part in the vote because it involved a matter pertaining to him. Glover and Herrick recused themselves from the vote.
The petitions for Glover and Herrick say that the signing voters “have lost faith in [the selectmen’s] ability to make important decisions and faithfully act in the best interest of the whole town of Paris.” The petitions for Ivey and Ripley say that the signing voters have “lost confidence” in the two selectmen.
The recall ordinance stipulates that selectmen must set a date for a recall election within 14 days of receiving a petition, with the election to be scheduled between 30 and 60 days from that point. Monday’s meeting was the first attempt to set an election for Glover and Herrick. It was the second attempt to set a recall election for Ivey and Ripley following the special selectmen’s meeting on Dec. 7, which took place 14 days after the receipt of those petitions.
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