Old Loop residents seek to secede from Town of Shapleigh over roads, taxes

Residents of Old Loop Road presented a petition at a public hearing on Feb. 4, 2026, asking to secede from the Town of Shapleigh and form a separate municipality, arguing the town fails to maintain local roads and that Old Loop property owners pay disproportionately high property taxes.

At the televised hearing, Moderator Michelle Romney read the petition and the required legal notices, and said the town clerk verified signatures. Romney said the petitioners must now file legislation with the state legislature within one year for the process to continue. "This petition envisions the entirety of Old Loop Road seceding from the town of Shapleigh," Romney read as she entered the petition into the public record.

Robert Harris, identified in the petition as a designated representative, led the petitioners’ presentation. He described repeated winter failures to sand and plow 30th Street and Old Loop Road, presented dated photos (Dec. 30 and Jan. 10) and said the roads were effectively icy and hazardous. "We pay 2, 3, 4 times more for taxes," Harris said, arguing that small seasonal lots and modest camps receive little town service despite high assessed values. He said full‑time resident population in the petition area is four and the seasonal population is 14.

Town officials and Romney told attendees what secession would mean. Romney said residents who secede would still pay county and school taxes and might lose access to town services such as the transfer station and in‑town vehicle and boat registration; a newly formed municipality would be required by statute to provide or arrange for emergency services, an assessor and other municipal officers. "I would recommend that you file for an abatement," Romney told parcel owners who questioned their assessments; she also suggested exploring a road association or contacting the road commissioner.

Public reaction was mixed. Several nearby property owners submitted a written statement asking to be excluded from the proposed boundary; Romney entered that statement into the record listing signatories including Christopher Jones, Susan Foley, Nancy Marcu and others. At least one resident, Wayne Phillipsburg, spoke in support of the petition, citing safety concerns and lack of maintenance; others asked about the costs and logistics of providing fire, ambulance and trash services if the area formed its own municipality.

The moderator closed the hearing after taking comments and reiterated next procedural steps: the petitioners must present legislation to the state legislature within a year, after which the matter would return to the town for mediation and further local processes. Romney encouraged residents to consider abatement requests and forming a road association while the petition moves forward.

The hearing ended with no formal vote; the petition will advance to the next procedural step only if the petitioners file legislation with the state.