Town of Perham Fires Highway Department Chief

 Selectmen Violate State Law on Executive Sessions

By: David Deschesne

Editor/Publisher, Fort Fairfield Journal

March 9, 2011, p. 1

PERHAM, Maine—For no publicly declared reason, the selectmen for the town of Perham terminated the employment of their Highway Department Chief, Art Ladner.

During the March 2 selectmen’s meeting, Mr. Ladner noted equipment damages to the town’s equipment totaling nearly $1,000. He cited a worn wheel hub and rims, a plow wing and front tire as needing immediate attention in order to continue plowing the roads. However, it is not clear if these were the reasons for his termination since the selectmen went into Executive Session to presumably discuss the issues while Ladner waited outside. 

The Executive Session appeared to be an impromptu decision since it was not listed on the agenda for the meeting. Upon coming out of executive session, head selectman Leslie Taylor announced Ladner's employment had been terminated. There was no motion, second, or public vote on the termination. “We are out of executive session. At this time we have released Art from duty,” Mrs. Taylor told the audience in attendance after the executive session. “He will no longer be with us, so we are down to one part-timer at this time.” 

While the selectmen did properly enter into executive session according to Maine Revised Statues (MRS) Title 1, §405 ¶6(A) the decision to actually remove Ladner was made in executive session, which is a violation of Maine law at 1 MRS, §405 ¶2, which states, “An ordinance, order, rule, resolution, regulation, contract, appointment or other official action may not be finally approved at an executive session.” This type of law violation appears to be either in concert with the selectmen’s seeming lack of understanding of Maine Law, or flagrant disregard of it.