YORK, Maine — Town officials say the Board of Selectmen lost its town historian, as well as its most vocal dissenter, who raised hackles and praise over the years, now that controversial selectman Ron Nowell has resigned.
The board is expected to officially accept his resignation at its Jan. 12 meeting and set a date for an election.
Nowell cited serious health concerns as the reason for his decision.
Selectman Torbert Macdonald often sided with Nowell on many 3-2 votes of the present board, with members Robert Palmer and Jon Speers, and the previous board, with former selectmen Kinley Gregg and Scott Fiorentino.
“He takes about 75 percent of the institutional memory away with him. Ron knows more about municipal government and how it should work than anyone else on the board,” Macdonald said. “There’s no way to conjure up his intellect, experience and historical perspective. He’s irreplaceable. So probably what it means is that a lot of decisions are going to be made in a vacuum.”
Macdonald said he expects he will take up Nowell’s “fight for minority rights” on the board and will ask that minority perspectives are given a higher profile.
Interim Town Manager Steve Burns said he has come to appreciate Nowell’s contribution over the years and thinks the board will be less vibrant without him.
“I don’t like losing his perspective on the board,” Burns said. “Diversity of opinion is important on key boards.”
Nowell’s strength also lay in his ability to be a “storyteller.”
“That’s what captivates people,” Burns said. “You can have all the charts and PowerPoint (presentations) you want, but it’s the ability to tell a story that makes people remember things. And Ron is a great storyteller.”
Nowell has served on the board a number of times dating back to 1976. He is known in town as someone who speaks his piece. Most recently, he has been a vocal critic of the police station project, saying the town violated town, state and federal regulations.
Selectmen vice-chairman Robert Palmer said the board needs people like Nowell “to raise those tough questions, but we also need people going forward who are willing to roll up their sleeves and find solutions.”
According to the town charter, selectmen will call an election to fill Nowell’s vacancy within 30 days. Town Clerk Mary-Anne Szeniawski said the board theoretically could set the date for the election to coincide with annual voting on May 16. However, “the intent of the charter is not to wait.”
She estimates the cost of a special election at $2,000 or less, and most of that is in printing costs. If a special election is held, the person who is elected will only serve for a few months, serving for Nowell’s unexpired term, which ends in May.
“You might get a good turnout. It depends. It makes whoever is elected an incumbent, which might give them a leg up in May,” she said.
Kathleen Kluger, former town manager search committee member, already has announced her intent to run. The 10-year resident of York said she feels the board “hasn’t been as cohesive as they could be. When our selectmen are stuck in what they are doing, and I think they are, I think that paralyzes everyone else. I think the board could be more open and progressive than they have been.”