New Vote Scheduled for April 12

By: David Deschesne

Fort Fairfield Journal, April 4, 2012

At the recent annual town meeting in Perham, voters rejected the purchase of a used wheel loader for the town’s highway department.

The current loader has issues with the transmission and selectmen believe the equipment should be replaced.

A tie vote of 18-18 defeated the proposed purchase which would have cost as high as $106,000 to the community of 365 people.

Some citizens agreed to look into volunteering their efforts at repairing the unit they currently have if the town would buy the parts needed.

The selectmen recently met to agree on crafting a new article for the town to vote on the purchase of the used wheel loader again. That vote will be held at 6:30pm on April 12 at the town office.

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Update.  April 28, 2012:   The April 12 vote again defeated the $106,000 purchase by just one vote.  Some people in town believe the unit the selectman have in mind is too large for the town's purposes.  The selectmen are planning another vote again within the next couple of weeks to try to get enough support from the citizenry to make the purchase.  The town of Perham is a town meeting form of government which means the inhabitants in the town actually vote on town expenditures, not the selectmen.