MEXICO — The Recall Ordinance Committee will hold its first meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Mexico Town Office.

At the town’s Nov. 12 Board of Selectmen meeting, the board voted 2-1 to approve seven residents to the Recall Ordinance Committee.

They are Albert Aniel, Lisa Arsenault, Aaron Cummings, Amanda Hamner, Marie Naples, Marjorie Richard and Clifford Stuart.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Richie Philbrick and Selectman Byron Ouellette will also serve on the committee, with Town Manager John Madigan attending as an adviser.

During an Aug. 29 Planning Board meeting, Aniel attempted to submit a recall ordinance, saying the town “needed an ordinance to be able to remove selectmen if they were not acting in the best interest of the voters, abusing their position, acted inappropriately or were convicted of a crime.”

The ordinance was rejected in a 4-3 vote at that meeting.

Since then, a petition containing nearly 150 signatures of residents was submitted to selectmen, and on Sept. 24 the board voted to have the Planning Board draft a recall ordinance.

The Planning Board voted against drafting it and left it in selectmen’s hands.

On Oct. 8, selectmen voted to create the Recall Ordinance Committee.

Philbrick said Monday that he volunteered for the committee so that “we can prepare ourselves for a situation like this in the future.”

“I’m looking out for the best interest of the community,” Philbrick said. “I think that when we’re done, it’ll be an eye-opener for everybody, including those of us on the board. I hope to be able to show that the town won’t be able to take someone off of the board because they disagree with someone over something.”

The meeting will be open to the public.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com