NEWRY — Selectmen will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 8, to call for a special election June 10.
Because Newry changed its method of voting by adopting the secret ballot method in August 2012, Chairwoman Wendy Hanscom and Selectman Gary Wight have to resign before May 8, Administrator Loretta Powers said Tuesday.
“It’s kind of funky,” she said. “We didn’t elect the selectmen right in the last two years, because we changed our way of voting.”
Following an executive session with the town’s attorney at the board’s March 18 meeting, Hanscom read a prepared statement saying that because of irregularities with the method of elections in 2013 and 2014, Newry didn’t fully use the secret ballot method.
“To prevent any potential issues, the town’s attorney has advised us that the selectmen and the school board members elected in 2013 and 2014 resign, and that the vacancies be filled by appointment for the school board members and by election for the selectmen,” she said.
Selectman Brooks Morton said the school board appointments would happen at the 2015 town meeting.
Hanscom and Wight will have to take out nomination papers and run for office again.
The election June 10 will be for one selectman for two years and one for three years.
Powers said the special election won’t cost the town anything extra, because it will be held on an election day.
In other business, selectmen will hold a workshop at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, in the Bear River Grange Hall to discuss the job description of the town administrator. The meeting is being held at the Grange hall so selectmen can examine the heating system, Powers said.
A public informational meeting to discuss the school funding formula and Newry building permit fees will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, May 19, in the Grange hall.
The board’s next regular meeting will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, in the Town Office.
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