DIXFIELD — Selectmen will review the annual town meeting warrant at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Town Office.

Budget recommendations from selectmen and the Budget Committee will be presented at the annual town meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at Dirigo High School. The budget amounts approved will be voted on at the June 10 referendum.

“This is the first time that we’ve done the budget process in this manner, as far as I can remember,” Interim Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky said. “It took a lot of work to get these budget recommendations in a condensed time. It wasn’t fun, but we did it.”

Selectmen have been discussing which method to use since last year’s town meeting when a straw poll indicated a majority of residents preferred to vote on the budget at the polls after the town meeting.

During a Feb. 26 public hearing, residents reiterated they wished to debate the budget proposals at a town meeting and vote on them in June.

At the March 17 board meeting, it was decided to have the budget vote at the polls instead of by a show of hands at the town meeting.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, selectmen will decide whether to invite Auburn police Chief Phil Crowell, president of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, to answer questions on his evaluation of the Dixfield Police Department.

“The selectmen have already gone over the evaluation with Chief (Richard) Pickett, but Crowell hasn’t presented it to them yet,” Skibitsky said. “This way, they can have their questions answered about the report.”

mdaigle@sunjournal.com

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