DERBY LINE — Derby’s floor meeting will keep its present form for another year, at least. About 130 voters who braved a miserable night of blowing snow Monday night roundly defeated an article that would have stripped them of the ability to consider high-ticket appropriations. Selectmen had proposed to decide appropriations exceeding $10,000 by Australian ballot.
Alan Yale rose to oppose the article, arguing that it would go against the spirit of Town Meeting by depriving citizens of the opportunity to hear and discuss both sides of an issue.
“If people want to be involved in building a budget they can come to town meeting,” Mr. Yale said.
The Australian ballot, he argued, makes it easy to reject items based solely on their cost. “Worthwhile projects could be in jeopardy because it is easy to check no without knowing the benefits,” he said.
Scott Warthin agreed, saying that if big ticket items were no longer voted on at the floor meeting, “Town Meeting would become an empty political discussion group.”
Brian Smith, chairman of the Derby selectmen, offered a different view. “A lot of people can’t come to Town Meeting,” he said. Many are having a hard time holding onto their jobs in these difficult times and can’t take the time for a meeting, Mr. Smith said.
He contrasted the small number of people in attendance, about 130, with the 3,000 on the Derby checklist and asked if it is democratic for such a small group to make decisions for the whole.
Mark Tetreault said he always comes to the floor meeting, but regards it as an opportunity to judge the tenor of the town, rather than as an exercise in decision making.
“I expect a dozen or so are working tonight, so they can’t come to Town Meeting,” Mr. Yale said. Many of the other absentees are watching television and forfeiting the right to express their opinions, he said.
Those present and voting were largely of Mr. Yale’s mind, and voted against adding to the Australian ballot.
The school budget also received close scrutiny from voters who wonder why costs continue to rise while student enrollment drops.
J.R. Stires posed this question to Melissa Pettersson of the Derby School Board. She said many of the school’s expenses, such as heating costs, do not decline along with enrollment.
Other new costs are constantly being added, Ms. Pettersson said. She pointed to a recently passed law increasing penalties for the rape of children. Although the bill has a goal all would favor, it requires schools to teach students about avoiding sexual predators without providing funds to do so, she said.
He and Roger Gilbert also questioned a $403,000 surplus in school funds. The school board proposed spending the money on a new school bus, a special education teacher, information technology, building repairs and textbooks.
Why, they wondered, did the school board raise more money than it needed and what would happen if voters rejected the board’s proposal?
Ms. Pettersson said budgeting is not an exact science. Sometimes additional revenue comes in, creating a surplus. She said it is better to run a surplus than to run short of money. In that case the money has to be made up by taxpayers the next year. If Derby residents refused to allow the reallocation of the money, three-quarters of the funds would be returned to the state and the remaining $100,000 would be used to lower town taxes.
Derby residents elected to keep the money in town and agreed to the board’s plans. On Tuesday about 450 voters cast their ballots. They decided to provide $4.87-million for support of the Derby Elementary School in Derby Line by a vote of 268 to 142.
Laura Dolgin and Beula-Jean Shattuck were unopposed and will continue as selectmen for the next three years. Rick Geisel will return to the North Country Union High School board after two years off. He was unopposed in his bid for the seat left open by the retirement of Steve Brochu.
In a contested race between two write-in candidates for first constable, Dennis Sheltra slipped by Chris Weyant by a vote of 64-62. Matthew Sheltra ran unopposed for re-election as second constable.
