Selectman reacts to closed session of school unit’s finance committee

THOMASTON — The SAD 50 office reported Thursday that no information on the $5.3 million school budget or the resignation of Superintendent Kent Webster would be available “until the meeting on Friday night.”

The board is expected to act on Webster’s resignation at the Friday session. The office reported that Webster was absent on Thursday “for health reasons.”

The Finance Committee met in executive session on the budget Wednesday night, which raised protests from several areas. The recommendation from the Finance Committee was unavailable at the SAD 50 office on Thursday.

St. George Selectman Edward Zaklow complained to both the state attorney general and the District Attorney’s Office about the closed session. He said other complaints had already been filed in both offices.

In a prepared statement, Zaklow said the actions of the Finance Committee “did a serious disservice to the community to which it is responsible.”

After years when the public ignored the budget process, residents of St. George, Thomaston and Cushing turned out “in significant numbers” this year in an attempt to work with the SAD 50 board. Concerns about education, ability to pay taxes and the “legacy which we will leave to our children prompted the increased participation,” Zaklow said.

“I cannot accept that the committee chose to defy the Freedom of Information Act and the moral obligation to conduct the public business in public. The excuse that some of the discussions would involve personnel salaries does not justify shutting the public out of the entire meeting. A simple alternative would have been to conduct the business in public, but without further public input.

“These officials are elected to a public trust which I believe has been betrayed. The public comments at these meetings have been the product of considerable effort on the part of various teachers, parents and community groups and have been well thought out and positive in nature. They presented workable alternatives to the proposed budget. Shutting these citizens out was uncalled for.”

Zaklow said the committee’s actions were “illegal, uncalled for and a violation of the public trust.”