Lets Begin | Changing times in Springfield, Maine

Home
Blog
Local Events
Government Resources
Businesses and services
Lets Begin

Newspaper response

April 24, 2025

In last weeks Lincoln News, an article detailed the progress of the proposed new Community center. In that article the author repeated that the community chose in a vote to continue with the project as proposed at the transfer station lot on Park Street.

This is not actually the truth in a couple of ways. Also, as detailed in the Lincoln News of several weeks past they stated that the survey we were asked to participate in was an informal vote with no actual weight. In fact, when I wrote at the time that I was told that it was a binding vote, the paper responded to me within the text of my letter to the editor that it was indeed intended to be informal and non-binding.

The fact is that we were promised a referendum vote on the project. A referendum vote has very firm rules about how a ballot is worded and, like "Campaigning" on the lawn of a polling station, they would never be allowed to editorialize on the ballot itself. In a referendum there would only be a statement of the two choices and the voter would be allowed to choose between the two.

In that Survey, the first option was the community center to be built on the transfer lot, 2.5 miles out of town. A few minimal facts to clarify the situation were added.

For the second option, the text said that the alternative would be to repair the old firehouse, and build a new town office with funds already in our possession from the sale of the old elementary school. It then continued by saying that this option would raise our taxes. the resulting building would be inadequate and anything else they could cram into that option that would scare people out of voting this way.

So, in fact, people who were undecided, people who had not been following the narrative and were not in possession of all the facts really had only one option. That was to choose option one.

This was a clear manipulation of the balloting process and would never be allowed on a referendum vote.

Our Selectpersons count on us being stupid enough to swallow such obvious manipulation.

In fact the townspeople have never been given a clear description of the process of building the complex, the possible costs, the effect on the town, how our status as a regional firehouse would develop, how our volunteer fire department would function in light of changing OSHA rules, how we would get more funds in there were cost over-runs or in fact, any information at all.

In light of this clearly illegal action on the part of the Selectpersons, we have not had the opportunity for a fair vote on this question.

The old firehouse has a number of issues that have developed because our town has not kept up with necessary maintenance. Applying for and receiving grant money is a very common thing and accounts for a lot of money that already comes into the town. The Selectpersons, as part of their job are required to do this. Any issues with the old firehouse can be overcome with grant money. Size, condition of the building, equipment renovations can all be done through that grant process without any noticeable increase in taxes.

Powered by Webador