Gorham holds a school budget recount last week. Robert Lowell / American Journal
Recount rules
Gorham is not pursuing any action to develop a town ordinance to govern election recounts, town officials said last week.
“We can’t have our own rules,” Town Council Chairperson Suzanne Phillips, citing a legal opinion, told the American Journal last week. “The state (statute) would supersede it.”
The idea of having town rules for recounts was bandied about as Gorham dealt last week with a recount of the school budget validation referendum that succeeded by a mere two votes, 1,829-1,827, after passing in June by four votes. Town officials followed the state rules in the recount.
Gorham resident Suzanne Roberge, who initiated the signature drive for a recount, said town recount rules that specifically apply to a school budget would have been helpful to all involved.
Roberge said in an email statement to the American Journal that state rules just didn’t apply to this “animal.”
“The state rules would be fine if it was a recount for political candidates or referendum, but this was a school budget. Having to follow these statutes put the budget into a political arena where it should have never gone,” she said.
“These state rules also did not allow any representation for the issuer unless they wanted to spend a lot of money for an attorney along with collecting 100 signatures and obtaining all these within a five-day deadline,” Roberge said.
She said the town and school sides had three lawyers present while those requesting the recount didn’t have resources and time to acquire legal representation.
Closed for the Fourth
The municipal center, administrative offices and Baxter Memorial Library will be closed for the July Fourth holiday.
The library will reopen at 9 a.m. Friday, July 5. The municipal center, normally closed to the public on Fridays, will reopen at 7 a.m. Monday, July 8.
There is no change to this week’s trash collection.
Gazebo concert
World Famous Grassholes are performing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, on the lawn at the municipal center.
Free clothes, shoes
The Mission of Hope clothes closet will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 6, at the Cressey Road Church, 81 Cressey Road.
The clothes closet is open the first and third Saturdays each month. For more information, call the church at 839-3111.
50 years ago
The American Journal reported on July 3, 1974, that Boy Scout Troop 73 at the First Parish Church camped out in the National Forest in Cold River, New Hampshire. Scouts Walter Brann and Paul Arthur each won a $1 for having the best camp site. Ross McCullough reeled in the largest trout.
U.S. taxpayers’ debt
The U.S. Treasury Department reported on June 27 that the U.S. public debt was $34,722,776,927,246.15.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
