NEW SHARON – More than 150 people turned out for the annual town meeting Saturday, choosing to reelect all three of the selectmen currently sitting on the board.
The voting took two hours, as residents chose to elect Maynard Webster as the town’s First Selectman, Russell Gardener as the town’s Second Selectmen and Larry Donald as the town’s Third Selectmen. This was the final year that New Sharon will elect all three selectmen in one meeting as next year only Donald’s seat will be open. Gardener’s seat will be open in 2011 and Webster’s in 2012.
The staggered terms are designed to prevent the election of three new selectman at once, denying the town an experienced selectman on the board.
Both Gardener and Webster’s elections were technically challenged, with Gardener defeating Code Enforcement Officer Jim Fleming by a vote of 80 to 57. Donald was submitted as a candidate for both Webster and Gardener’s seats, but he eventually asked that it be withdrawn.
Donald said he was interested in serving the one-year term on the board, to make sure that his potential continued service is in the best interests of the town and himself.
“There is a lot more to it,” he told the residents. “A lot more than I expected.”
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Miriam Smith, the town’s treasurer for nearly 30 years, officially retired today, being replaced by Scott Pratt. Smith was honored by both legislative commendations presented by Sen. Walter Gooley (R – Farmington) and Paul Gilbert (D – Jay), as well as an engraved cooking tray on behalf of the selectmen. Webster noted that Smith had often provided the board with chocolate chip cookies throughout her many years of service.
Rose Mary Eller was reelected as town clerk and tax collector. Road Commissioner Donald Lowe narrowly defeated challenger Kevin Brann to retain his position, while Forrest Bonney was reelected to the New Sharon Water District board of trustees.
Residents also approved a major spending item prior to breaking for lunch. Voters overwhelmingly approved raising and appropriating $40,000 to rebuild a bridge on the Weeks Mills Road, as well as borrowing $75,000 for that same project.
Lowe said that the town would do as much work as possible before replacing the actual bridge, to make the process as smooth and quick as possible. A temporary walk way will be installed to allow pedestrian passage during the course of the project.
Residents nixed a proposal to move the town clerk, treasurer and tax collector to appointed, as opposed to elected, positions. Selectmen had been told by their auditing company, R.H.R Smith & Co., that the appointed positions were preferable because it granted more control over the positions and avoided potential problems when dealing with possible fraud.
However, despite the presence of a representative from R.H.R. Smith & Co., several residents spoke against the measure. Most said they were concerned about the loss of control of the positions through the town meeting process.
All three articles, each dealing with a different position, were defeated by wide margins.
