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Budget committee flags legal problems with petition; Select Board tables and asks for written attorney opinion
Summary
A certified citizen petition raised on Aug. 4 was referred back to the budget committee after members and the town attorney flagged legal issues in section 2; the Select Board voted 5–0 to table the petition and ask the town attorney for a written legal basis if the board declines to place the item before voters.
The Select Board discussed a certified citizen petition at length on Aug. 4 and decided to send it back to the budget committee for work on language and legal review rather than place it on an upcoming ballot as submitted.
Budget committee members told the board their attorney determined that section 2 of the petition "does not meet state statute" and raised concerns about enforceability, ambiguous terms such as references to "unencumbered funds," and whether sections 3 and 5 would be binding. A budget committee representative said the group favored many underlying concepts but recommended detailed redrafting and policy work ahead of FY28 budgeting. One committee member noted the petition organizers gathered 276 signatures, underlining the community interest.
Board members agreed not to rush placing the petition before voters without clarifying legal and drafting issues. They voted 5–0 to table the petition, asked the town attorney for a written explanation of any legal reasons for not accepting the certified petition as submitted, and referred the item to the budget committee for section-by-section work and potential alternatives (policies or ordinances).
