Selectmen
oppose citizen petition
By Elizabeth Prata
New Gloucester--"Town meeting as a gathering
of voting citizens can be used to discuss something
more than the traditional local matters, and offers
voters a means that has been overlooked by most of
us of asserting commonly held values."
Those are the words of New Gloucester citizen Penny
Hilton and the premise with which went to the Selectmen
on March 28 and requested that the Selectmen place
her citizen resolution on the upcoming Town Meeting
Warrant list.
The Selectmen opposed the request at that time, with
Chair Steve Libby saying it was too political and
not strictly a local issue. Ms. Hilton then revised
her request and went to the people. She initiated
a citizen petition to have the resolution placed on
the Town Meeting Warrant, and obtained enough signatures
within the time period the Selectmen specified to
have it presented at Town Meeting.
She came back to the next Selectmen meeting, on April
11, and presented the petition. By law, the petition
is allowed to be placed on a Town Meeting Warrant
if it meets criteria, such as including enough certified
signatures, and that it is submitted on time. Items
on the Town Meeting Warrant are discussed by citizens
at town meeting and voted on collectively at that
time by those present. Usually those items relate
to the municipal budget and expenditures for the upcoming
fiscal year but do not exclude other matters from
being discussed. Recently, the Town meeting discussed
whether to make New Gloucester a Nuclear Free Zone,
and that resolution passed at Town Meeting.
Ms. Hilton's revised petition stated:
"Resolved: that the citizens of New Gloucester,
in support of the Maine National Guardsmen and their
families, direct the Board of Selectmen to send a
letter on our behalf to our state representative,
state senator, US Senators, and US Representative
to Congress, communicating the following requests:
1) That they pass legislation prohibiting deployment
of National Guardsmen and Women for active combat
without sufficient combat training and personal and
vehicle armor appropriate to the kind of assaults
that can be expected;
2) That they pass legislation prohibiting long-term
or repeated deployment of national Guard soldiers
to areas outside the territorial United States;
3) That they repeal all federal tax cuts instituted
since January 1, 20002, and prohibit creation of additional
tax cuts until all programs to train and equip military
personnel, including those in the national Guard have
been fully funded; and until all benefits to military
families and veterans have been funded sufficient
to their actual needs, and to our debt and promises
to them."
Selectmen Lynn Conger stated several concerns with
allowing the resolution to go forward and be placed
on the Warrant. "The purpose to pay for the national
guard is so that are provided the training they need
on a continuing basis. To say we need to pass legislation
regarding that, I think that is the responsibility
that has already been designated. In terms of deployment,
the national guard is there as a service and comes
in place in need, it has been called upon this past
year and appreciate their sacrifices. Overall, I take
issue, there is a different means to address this
at the federal level."
Vice-Chair Stephanie Bryan asked Ms. Hilton if she
had any military experience. Ms. Hilton said no.
Selectmen David Lunt said that he would not get into
a discussion about his feelings. However, based on
the process that the Selectmen described to Ms. Hilton,
Mr. Lunt was satisfied that she had met the established
criteria and moved that the item be placed on the
warrant. "I move we accept this article to the
warrant by petition and have the town attorney review
it," he said.
The Selectmen decided to have the Town Attorney review
the language of the resolution and if there are any
problems with wording it can be addressed at Town
meeting. The vote was 4-1 with Libby opposed.
After the meeting Ms. Bryan said that if the resolution
passes at Town meeting she would rather resign on
the spot than sign it into law.
