WATERBORO, Maine — Six months from now, this community could be hosting its last annual town meeting, where voters decide on the budget for the ensuing fiscal year.
Low turnouts at the annual town meeting over the last several years prompted selectmen to discuss what to do about the matter. So, after voters made their choices for U.S. president and state legislators at the polls Nov. 8, they were greeted by petitioners asking them if they wanted to hold a vote to change to referendum voting instead of the traditional town meeting.
“Ninety-nine [people] out of 100 think it’s a good idea,” said Selectman Tim Neill of the possible change. “I got 500 signatures. I didn’t have five people say they didn’t like it.”
Over the past few years, the average attendance at the June town meeting has been 40 to 50 people. This year’s annual meeting on June 18 saw 51 people cast votes.
That is a far cry from the days when Waterboro’s population was about 1,200, and 100 people turned out for town meeting, which would, in those days, be so lengthy it would break for lunch. In years where there were particularly contentious issues, they would break for supper as well, selectmen said.
“To run a $5 million budget on 50 votes is sad,” said Dennis Abbott, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
“I love the form of government, but its not working,” said Town Administrator Gary Lamb.
According to Waterboro’s charter, petitioners had to collect signatures of 15 percent of registered voters in town to bring the issue to a vote. Lamb said on Nov. 8, there were 5,377 registered voters, so 807 signatures were needed. In all, 1,038 signatures were verified.
If voters choose referendum style budget voting, it would begin in June 2018.
The late Willis Lord’s “History of Waterboro” doesn’t say exactly when the first town meeting was held, but Lord notes that the town was incorporated on March 6, 1787.
Over the years, town meeting dates have changed, in part so information on the school budget, legislative agenda and county tax could be more apparent, and also to encourage more turnout — but that hasn’t happened.
Town meeting itself has changed as well. As the town grew — its population is about 8,000 as of the 2010 census — residents voted to change the charter. For the past several years, selectmen have decided matters such as ordinance changes, rather than the town meeting.
A number of York County communities have voted to abolish town meeting, and voters now cast ballots on annual budgets by referendum. Among them are Wells, Kennebunk and Hollis.