JAY — Selectpersons decided Tuesday to hold the annual town meeting referendum in April to coincide with the Regional School Unit 73 budget validation vote.

The annual town meeting referendum was April 25 this year to set a budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year that began July 1.

The vote had been aligned with the RSU 73 vote, but snowstorms delayed the school budget from being set while the municipal budget moved forward. Jay had to continue on with its vote because absentee ballots were already available for municipal and school officials.

The RSU 73 budget referendum was held in June.

Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said she talked to RSU 73 Superintendent Kenneth Healey and they want to keep their meeting in April for hiring purposes.

Selectperson Judy Diaz said she likes the vote to be held in April to get it done.

The pro side of having the town meeting in June, Chairman Terry Bergeron said, is that they would most likely have all of the financial figures needed in terms of what the town will be receiving from the state.

LaFreniere said they would have estimates and there would be meetings leading up to the vote. 

Bergeron said he likes the April vote to coincide with the school vote because he feels it gets more people to vote.

LaFreniere said she will find out if RSU 73 has set an April date.

Town Clerk Ronda Palmer will draft a town meeting timeline that is expected to start in January with budgets from department heads going to LaFreniere followed by budget meetings.  

In another matter, selectpersons will revisit hanging holiday decorations this year. Last year, they found out late that the electrical outlets and brackets for decorations in the Chisholm Village area were on the old utility poles that were removed during road construction on Route 4. The new poles did not have the brackets or electrical outlets.

The cost to rewire each pole was about $200 each. Selectpersons opted not to put them up last year.

LaFreniere asked selectpersons Tuesday if they wanted to revisit the decorations at another board meeting.

“I say let a dead cat lay,” Diaz said.

No additional money was budgeted for wiring the outlets.

They do have decorations, brackets and electrical outlets on poles from Riley Road up Main Street through North Jay.

Selectperson Keith Cornelio said he personally does not have a problem putting up decorations. The Fire Rescue Department usually puts them up for the holiday season. 

LaFreniere said they have decorations. If they put up brackets, which she believes they have plenty of, they could hang the decorations without electricity. They just would not light up. 

Selectpersons will discuss the matter at a future meeting.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net