Public frustration surfaces as council appoints cost‑sharing committee member amid contested process

The Gray Town Council’s Jan. 12 meeting included a contentious appointment and several heated public comments about governance and municipal services.

Councilors appointed Judy Simino as an at‑large member of an MSAD15 cost‑sharing committee after a deliberation that several residents called unfair. Public commenters and some council members argued that applicants who had done much of the leg work on the cost‑sharing petition (which seeks to revisit how Gray and New Gloucester split local school costs) deserved preference; others noted that several applicants were not present and defended the scoring process used by councilors.

"The people who did all the leg work should be the ones who are on the committee," one resident said; another councilor said candidates need not be present to be considered. The exchange prompted audible disagreement from the public and several speakers urged more transparent procedures for appointments.

The meeting’s public comment periods were dominated by complaints about municipal finances and operations: residents asked for access to warrants and bank reconciliations, urged mandatory in‑person verification for any vendor bank‑account changes, and called for multiple signatures on large disbursements. Several speakers criticized the quality of private‑way snow plowing in neighborhoods such as Birchwood and Bridgewood and said contracted crews lacked adequate training and supervision.

Councilors acknowledged the public’s frustration and said staff and finance committees are working on tighter controls and will present procedural recommendations about warrants, procurement and contractor oversight in coming weeks.