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Select Board agrees to send cruiser replacement, funding questions to special town meeting ballot
Summary
The Rangeley Select Board voted to place a question on the Aug. 18 special town meeting ballot asking voters whether to replace a 2017 police vehicle with a Ford Interceptor for about $65,600 and whether the town should use undesignated fund balance to pay for it; the separate funding question passed on a 3–2 board vote at the organizational meeting.
The Rangeley Select Board voted to place two related questions on the Aug. 18 special town meeting ballot: whether to replace a 2017 Ford police vehicle and whether to take the purchase funds from the town’s undesignated fund balance.
Board members debated options for the warrant language and for funding the purchase before moving forward. A board member who made the motion asked the question be framed to give voters context about the existing vehicle: "Shall the town replace the 2017 Ford Interceptor that has 120,000 miles on it with a new Ford Interceptor for $65,600?" The board then voted to put that question on the warrant; a subsequent, separate question asking whether to use undesignated fund balance to pay for the purchase also passed on a 3–2 vote by the select board.
Why it matters: Voters previously rejected a similar question in June. Board members and residents argued during the hearing both for and against returning the matter to voters: supporters said clarifying the vehicle type and funding source would address earlier confusion; opponents said repeatedly asking the public to reconsider a rejected question risks disenfranchising voters. Several members also discussed alternatives to asking voters, including purchasing from reserve funds or using a lease to spread costs.
Key details: Town staff advised the panel that the police reserve fund balance is about $89,000 and that the vehicle is in the town’s capital plan for replacement. The board discussed two-question approaches so voters could separately decide (1) whether they wanted the vehicle and (2) where the funds should come from. A board member suggested transparent ballot language that identifies the vehicle’s model year and mileage to inform voters.
Next steps: The board approved drafting the two-question warrant language and instructed staff to prepare materials for the statutory seven-day public-notice period required before the special meeting. The questions will appear on the Aug. 18 secret-ballot special town meeting if clerks and staff finalize the warrant language and posting requirements.
Attribution: Quotes and attributions in this story come from the meeting transcript of the Rangeley Select Board meeting and public hearing, as recorded by the meeting clerk.
