LIMESTONE, Maine —The Selectboard chose on May 2 to have residents vote on the fate of the local police force during the annual town meeting on June 14 rather than in a referendum on June 13.
The Selectpeople had voted during an earlier emergency meeting to have a town wide referendum on the police department after the proposed budget jumped by about $45,313, or 16.6 percent over last year, mainly due to wage increases.
They reconsidered, however, after the budget committee instead recommended that the vote take place at the town meeting.
Budget panel members were concerned about the wording of the referendum, which was to ask voters whether they supported 24 hour police coverage, 18 hour staffing, or no coverage. The members feared a scenario in which the police department could be abolished with only 40 percent of the vote, when a majority of residents favored some form of coverage. Residents favoring coverage could end up evenly dividing their vote with 30 percent supporting 24 hour coverage and 30 percent supporting 18 hour staffing. There could be more discussion and clarity on what residents want with a vote during a town meeting, the budget panel pointed out.
Limestone’s May 2nd Selectpeople meeting had a larger than usual turnout, with the board voting on how townsfolk will determine the 2017-18 police budget, ultimately deciding to bring it to town meeting with the other departmental budgets instead of a separate referendum with choices of 24-hour, 18-hour, or no coverage. (Christopher Bouchard)
Selectpeople then rescinded their previous action to go to referendum and voted 3-1 with one abstention to have residents determine the police budget in the same manner they do budgets for other municipal departments — during the town meeting.
Many attending Tuesday’s meeting questioned the board’s change of heart, stating that more citizens could participate in a referendum vote or would be able to vote via absentee ballot. Others were offended that the town even proposed eliminating the police force.
“Where do you want to get the money to run this town,” Selectman Steven Beaulieu responded. “not just for police, but the whole town? Our roads are falling apart. We have fire trucks that are 30 years old. The town office could use work. We could dump a million dollars into the highway department. Nobody is picking on the police department. Nobody is picking on (Chief) Stacey (Mahan). This is money, and we aren’t the only town considering this. All of the towns up here, the population is dropping, tax valuation is dropping, and most of our population is elderly on fixed incomes.”
Before voting in favor of bringing the police vote to town meeting instead of referendum, Selectman Tom Albert commented that voting on departmental budgets is standard for any municipality with a town meeting form of government.
“Everything is supposed to happen through this (town meeting vote) method. If we’re not going to do that, then maybe we need to think of another form of government, like a council. We can’t say let’s take it to referendum every time someone gets mad or their feelings get hurt.”
Albert clarified that he has never supported cutting the police department, and that while he sometimes worries that someone will stand up during a town meeting and propose taking $75,000 or $100,000 out of the budget, the voters should ultimately be able to decide their town’s future.
Selectman Greg Ward said that he did not think that 24 hour coverage, 7 days a week, was possible with the Limestone Police Department’s current staff of three full time officers and 10 part-timers, and that at least four full-time officers would be required to truly provide full coverage — five, if officers wanted to take vacations.
Chief Mahan, however, indicated that it was possible to cover the town with his current staff.
Selectwoman Melissa Devoe asked Mahan how many unmanned shifts the department had had since hiring a third full-time officer.
“None,” he responded.
Limestone’s May 2nd Selectpeople meeting had a larger than usual turnout, with the board voting on how townsfolk will determine the 2017-18 police budget, ultimately deciding to bring it to town meeting with the other departmental budgets instead of a separate referendum with choices of 24-hour, 18-hour, or no coverage. (Christopher Bouchard)
“You’re going to have an officer off for maybe five or six months this year,” Ward added, “so you won’t have 24 hour coverage.”
“We will,” said Mahan. “If not I’ll come in here and work double shifts. I’ve done it before. You said it yourself, we’d need five people to do it right. We have three people with reserves so I think we’re really doing it right. We’re working 24 hour shifts.”
The chief said officials from other agencies have asked him how they do it with just three officers.
“We make it work, and that’s why I have ten part time people on the roster,” Mahan said. “If our three full-timers run out of hours, I have that reserve. We offer full coverage, 52 weeks a year, even with vacations, sick days, or an officer out with an injury; we make it work. We’re not perfect, but we’re doing the best we can with what we have, and a majority of the [proposed budget] increase includes a raise for the part-time people.”
“I’ll point out that we didn’t just give raises to the police department,” Devoe said. “They were given to every department.”
Based on current budget estimates, the town’s current mill rate of 24.67 is projected to climb to 26 for the 2017-18 year, depending on a variety of factors, including how local residents vote during the annual town meeting, and actions related to the RSU #39 withdrawal process.
