LINCOLNVILLE — Approximately 35 people attended a public hearing in Lincolnville April 16 to discuss a proposed amendment to the town's charter giving the voters power to establish or abolish a local police department.

Opinion about the proposed amendment was fairly evenly divided between proponents and opponents Tuesday night, according to Town Administrator David Kinney.

"Of the people that got up and spoke, the proponents said the charter amendment would allow the town a choice or a vote in the matter," said Kinney. "The opponents said that they liked having a police department, that they wanted it there and don't want it to go away."

Kinney said other opponents opined that the town already voted on having a police department when it decided what would be in the charter, so there was no need to vote again.

He also said that while the proponents said it was about giving the people — not the selectmen — the vote, opponents felt the amendment was a "wolf in sheep' clothing," in that the petitioners wanted to do away with town law enforcement and this was the first step toward doing that.

The charter, adopted in 2002, says that police protection and public safety for the town "shall be provided by a police department having a full time chief and police personnel (full or part-time) as needed." The charter gives the Board of Selectmen the authority to appoint a police chief for a term of three years, and police personnel for one-year terms. The charter also stipulates that the police chief "shall submit an annual budget to the Board of Selectmen for inclusion in the Annual Town Warrant."

The proposed charter amendment asks voters to approve repealing the entire section of the current charter as it relates to the Law Enforcement Department (Section 5.05B) and replace it with the following:

"The voters of the Town shall have the power to establish or abolish a local police department."

The amendment was submitted by citizen petition, with 256 of the 306 submitted signatures deemed valid by town officials, according to Kinney. The petitioner's committee was comprised of Cecil Dennison, Owen Weyers, Krystal Coombs, Tracy Colby and Cathy Hardy.

Kinney said that state law requires the amendment go before voters when submitted by citizen petition that includes the signatures of at least 20 percent of the number of registered voters who voted in the last gubernatorial election.

To qualify and put the question to the voters on the next warrant, the petition needed at least 243 signatures, said Kinney. The petition qualified with 13 extra validated signatures; the town found 50 invalid signatures.

"The valid citizen petition set the wheels in motion to put the question before voters. The town has to hold a public hearing on charter amendments because voting is done by secret ballot and there is no opportunity to voice opinions yay or nay prior to the vote like there would be if voting was at town meeting," said Kinney. "You have the opportunity to change people's minds at town meeting. With a referendum ballot there is no opportunity to discuss it."

Kinney said the public hearing lasted a couple of hours, with nearly everyone in attendance standing to speak.

Kinney said it is important for voters to know that a "yes" vote will amend the charter, and a "no" vote will keep the charter as is, with the requirement that the town have a full-time police chief.

At town meeting in 2012, Hardy proposed eliminating all part-time municipal police coverage. She and others in support of her idea said at the time they wanted to continue to employ full-time Lincolnville Police Chief Ron Young. Hardy proposed cutting nearly $29,000 in part-time wages, as well as another $9,000 in benefits, uniforms, accessories, training, and cruiser maintenance and fuel. Voters ultimately agreed, voting 134 in favor and 41 against cutting the budget by $37,906 to un-fund part-time police coverage, according to town documents. The change went into effect July 1, 2012, and since then, Young has been the only municipal police officer in Lincolnville, which is also patrolled by the Waldo County Sheriff's Office and Maine State Police.

Lincolnville's town meeting is Saturday, June 15, at 10 a.m. at the Lincolnville Central School. Election Day and referendum voting is four days earlier, on Tuesday, June 11, with polls in the LCS gym open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For those not able to vote in person, absentee ballots are available 30 days prior to the June11 election. Absentee ballots can be picked up in person at the town office, or via mail by calling 763-3555.

• Charter of the Town of Lincolnville

• Town of Lincolnville