Lincolnville votes to fund police department

LINCOLNVILLE – In convincing fashion, residents agreed to fund the town police department in Tuesday’s voting.

The referendum article asked residents whether they would spend $19,635 from surplus funds to pay for the continued operation of the police department through the remainder of the fiscal year.

The article carried, with 465 votes in favor of the spending, and 290 opposed.

Without the referendum, the town expected to exhaust the accounts that pay the police chief’s salary and other law enforcement expenses by the end of December. The fiscal year runs through the end of June.

The town’s Board of Selectmen put the article on the ballot.

A competing article, put on the ballot by a petition, asked residents to “abolish any full-time police chief or department.” Voting in favor of the question were 258 residents, with 483 opposed.

The town has been debating the future of its part-time police force for the last two years, after longtime Chief Rick Osgood announced his intention to retire.

A straw poll showed mixed sentiments on the level of law enforcement residents favored, but then a definitive vote on the concept of a full-time department carried a year ago.

At the annual town meeting in June, residents cut the $70,474 selectmen proposed spending on the department to $24,085. Despite the vote, selectmen voted to hire former part-time Officer Tom Russell as chief after Osgood retired.

The passage of the article ensures the continuation of the department through June.

A third question on the town ballot asked residents to adopt a proposed town seal. The seal was adopted in a 572-174 vote.