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Petition to withdraw from RSU moves to Buckfield special town meeting; board includes $50,000 cap in draft warrant
Summary
Select Board accepted certified petitions to begin the state-required withdrawal process from RSU 10 and placed a warrant article on the Nov. 4 special town meeting asking voters whether to initiate that process with a not-to-exceed cost included in the draft.
The Buckfield Select Board acknowledged certified petitions Sept. 2 that would start the state withdrawal process from RSU 10 and approved placing the withdrawal question on the Nov. 4 special town meeting warrant with a draft cap on initial legal costs. Town staff reported petition circulation in three packets signed by residents Judy Berg, Britney Allaire and Michelle Casey; the three petition sets yielded 90, 18 and 11 valid signatures, respectively, exceeding the 98-signature threshold in state guidance.
Why it matters: The petition would initiate a multi-step statutory withdrawal process that requires legal and fiscal analysis. Town staff warned that the process is costly and complex; the draft warrant contains a dollar cap that staff set at $50,000 for the initial work, and staff said that amount can be revised before the vote but is intended to cover legal and negotiation costs for the 22-step state withdrawal process.
Board discussion and context: Staff said they contacted a lawyer with experience in RSU withdrawals and will make that contact available to the town if the warrant article is approved. Board members noted that for a practical withdrawal they anticipate all three towns in the regional unit would need to pursue withdrawal concurrently to achieve a feasible outcome.
Petition and process details: The board received the certified petition documents and told the petitioners the next step is the warrant vote. Staff emphasized that approving the warrant article only allows the town to begin the withdrawal process; it does not guarantee a final separation or reduce the eventual costs that negotiating a withdrawal agreement can involve.
Next steps: The warrant will go to the Nov. 4 ballot. If the voters approve initiating withdrawal, the town would need to fund and then engage legal counsel and analysts to prepare required analyses and negotiate details with the RSU and other municipalities.
