DIXFIELD — Business owner Dana Whittemore defeated incumbent Norine Clarke for a seat on the Board of Selectmen in Tuesday’s town elections. Current board Chairman Mac Gill was re-elected, Town Clerk Vicki Carrier said.
The vote totals for the five candidates seeking the two open seats were: Whittemore, 186; Gill, 181; Clarke, 159; Norman Mitchell, 121; and Sandy Hebert, 72.
Carrier said 390 residents cast ballots, which was “pretty good, considering that it wasn’t a state election.”
Voters also approved Article 3 by a 275-103 vote, allowing the Board of Selectmen to prepare an ordinance that would have all budgetary items decided via a referendum ballot rather than a vote at an open meeting. According to the election warrant, the question was a nonbinding straw vote to give selectmen direction.
Townspeople voted 256-130 in favor of accepting the agreement between RSU 10 and the town of Dixfield and discontinuing the Withdrawal Committee.
The Dixfield Withdrawal Committee was formed last year after RSU 10 Superintendent Tom Ward suggested combining Dirigo High School in Dixfield and Mountain Valley High School in Rumford to save money.
The agreement between RSU 10 and and the Dixfield Withdrawal Committee comes in the form of a 10-year facilities plan that calls for Dirigo High School and Mountain Valley High School to be maintained, along with Buckfield Junior-Senior High School. The plan could change if the state subsidy or student enrollment drops by 25 or more percent, according to the agreement.
Carrier said Bruce Ross was re-elected to a three-year term as an RSU 10 director with 299 votes.
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