Rescue, Fire paid staffing, selectmen benefits sure to stir debate
Harrison Thorp Thank you Harrison Thorp and The Lebanon Voice
The moderator for tonight's public hearing will be an attorney from the law offices of Bernstein Shur of Portland, Maine, which represents the town in litigation matters.
It was back in March that newly appointed Fire and Rescue Chief Dan Meehan first presented the proposals that would include paid staffing at both first responder stationhouses. The annual expense is roughly $100,000 apiece for both Fire and Rescue personnel.
Other Fire and Rescue questions include whether town voters should allow what is left in the Rescue Department's enterprise account to flow into the general fund and whether the two departments should be combined.
Also sure to draw some controversy is the Town Manager issue which comprises two questions, one that would change the town's form of government and the other that would pay the town manager $60,000 a year plus expenses. Both citizens' petitions were brought forth by selectman candidate Corinna Cole.
Meanwhile, two ballot questions address whether town employee benefit packages should be 1) given to selectmen and 2) offered to the elected road commissioner.
The late Road Commissioner Larry Torno had been given a benefits package, but after his untimely death this winter, selectmen said they realized there was no policy on the books that he should have gotten one, hence the two referendum questions.
Two of three selectmen voted against giving benefits to selectmen, one of three voted against giving them to the road commissioner.
Among the budget committee all eight voted to deny benefits to both selectmen and the road commissioner.
Several articles deal with putting money in Capital Reserve funds so money not expended in the current fiscal year can be rolled over and used into the next.
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