LINCOLNVILLE — At a vote of 392 to 335 (unofficial results as of 8:20 p.m.), Lincolnville voters amended their town charter, allowing them the right to decide if the town wants to have a police department, or not. The vote followed a campaign in town to convince citizens that the town charter governing law enforcement needed changing. The debate over whether the small town needs its own police department has been ongoing for years, since the fulltime police chief position was created.

"I am very pleased with results and turnout today," said Cathy Hardy, a vocal proponent of the charter amendment, as the votes were being counted at Lincolnville Central School Tuesday night. "I actually thought this would be the result and what the people of Lincolnville would want."

The amendment was submitted to the town via citizen petition.

Voter turnout at the polls was 729, from a town with a population of 2,164 and a voter-registration list of 1,787. Citizens passionate on both sides of the issue of whether Lincolnville should have its own police department have advocated their positions, and the debate will continue Saturday morning, June 15, when annual Town Meeting takes place at Lincolnville Central School, beginning at 10 a.m.

There, they will address a warrant that includes spending $85,557 to keep a police department operating and its police chief paid a fulltime salary.

Another article to consider is: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $39,000 to fulfill the Town’s statutory and employment contract obligations if the Police Department is eliminated as a department of the Town.

The charter amendment changed the following wording from:

"Section 5.05(B): B. LawEnforcement
1.    Police protection and public safety for the town, shall be provided by a Police Department having a full time Police Chief and police personnel (full or part- time) as needed.
2.    The Board of Selectmen shall, by majority vote, appoint
a)    Police Chief – term of three years b)    Police Personnel – term of one year
3.    The Police Chief shall submit an annual budget to the Board of Selectmen for inclusion in the Annual Town Warrant."

To:

"Section 5.05(B) of Charter regarding the Law Enforcement Department be and hereby is repealed and replaced in its entirety with the following:
B. Law Enforcement
The voters of the Town shall have the power to establish or abolish a local police department.

In other voting business: the town approved the two school budgets, as well as extending the current school budget validation process for another three years.