PERU — At Monday night’s regular selectmen’s meeting, selectmen agreed to hire an auditor, Warren Smith, to review the books of the former Recreation Committee.

Members of the Peruvians for Honest Government have been pushing the selectmen to audit the books to determine if there is enough evidence to pursue legal action against former Recreation Committee Chairman Tim Holland.

Selectmen said that Holland has refused to produce the checkbook and other records from the committee. The committee received some town funds and also raised funds for recreational purposes. The town has some records and has produced them for PHG in response to a freedom of access request. Residents claimed that some of the old Recreation Committee funds were misspent.

The state attorney general’s office has refused to get involved unless the town can produce evidence of wrongdoing.

Selectman Jim Pulsifer was the only selectman to vote against hiring the auditor. He said that it could be considered an accusation of wrongdoing and expose the town to liability. The other selectmen said that the audit was just to determine if there is any evidence of wrongdoing.

Selectboard Chairman Lee Merrill said he would like the audit to be done. He said that the town officers should do something, and they have not looked far enough into the public complaints.

Pulsifer said that he “can’t see investing a lot of time and money chasing windmills.”

Merrill said that the $500 approved was not excessive.

In other business, Town Clerk Vera Parent suggested to the selectmen that they consider retaining Lime Green Technology to supply IT services to the town. She said they are a local firm and can be expected to provide better and faster service than can other potential suppliers of IT services.

Parent said that the annual fee will be less than the town spent in recent years for emergency service.

Selectmen will meet with the Friends of Peru Elementary School at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, prior to the selectboard’s regular 6 p.m. meeting. Residents recently voted to return oversight of the old school to the selectmen with FPES providing management services for the Peru Community Center.