Select Board approves publishing draft warrant to expand board to five members; will consult MMA on ballot wording

The South Thomaston Select Board voted to publish a draft warrant for a special town meeting on March 10 that would change the town’s Select Board from three to five members and stagger the initial terms.

Board members discussed two primary ways to run the first election: (1) list separate seats (A, B and C) on the nomination and ballot so candidates run for a specific term length, or (2) present all seats together and assign the two highest vote-getters three-year terms and the next-highest the shorter term. Several members said they were unsure whether state nomination-paper procedures and the town’s ordinance permit the second approach without additional ordinance language.

Because the timing for nomination papers (papers available in early March and filing deadlines in April) is tight, the board agreed to publish the draft warrant now and consult the Maine Municipal Association (MMA) and town counsel this week to confirm how nomination papers and ballot wording should be handled. One member urged caution, noting the change is significant and could slow decision-making for the town, and another noted the success of past charter or ordinance amendments in other towns may not be directly applicable.

The board approved publishing the draft warrant as long as it is clearly labeled a draft and directed staff to finalize the language after MMA consultation. The board emphasized that any changes to how ballots or nomination papers are handled must be resolved before the papers are distributed to prospective candidates.