Vassalboro voters to fill vacant selectmen’s position

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro voters will choose a new member of the Board of Selectmen at the polls on Nov. 7.

Following the death of Board Chairman Philip Haines, Lauchlin Titus and Robert Browne met in special session Sept. 27 and agreed on a shortened nomination process and a Nov. 7 election.

Nomination papers were available Monday morning, Oct. 2, and signed papers are due at the town office by 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, for candidates’ names to appear on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Whoever is elected will serve the remainder of Haines’ term, until the June 2018 elections.

Town Manager Mary Sabins told selectmen they had three options, under state law:

• The special shorter nomination process that she recommended and board members chose;
• A special election, probably in December, after a normal nomination process; or • A two-man board until regular elections in June 2018.

A special election would be a special town meeting, whether it is on Nov. 7 or in December, and under a local regulation would require a quorum of at least 125 voters. Sabins was not sure 125 people would come to the polls only to elect a selectman, especially in December; she thought it more likely that the requirement could be met Nov. 7.

As long as there are only two selectmen, neither can miss a meeting, since a majority of the three-person board must be present to conduct business.

The regular selectmen’s meeting Oct. 5 has been canceled. The next selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Oct. 19.