STETSON – Residents and town officials called a cease-fire at Wednesday night’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen in an attempt to leave behind accusations and press on with town business.

Nearly 25 residents crammed into the town office as a former town clerk, Dennell Ham, said she was upset with the “foolishness” circulating around town. She said she wanted to get to the bottom of any suspicions that the town office was improperly run while she was employed.

Both selectmen, George Hockstadter and David Buchstaber, added that audits were completed and everything came back “perfect.”

“There have been a lot of things that shouldn’t have been said on both sides,” Hockstadter said, referring to numerous rumors. “Let’s end it tonight.”

More than a month ago, 10 town employees and committee members resigned, many citing alleged accusatory and disrespectful comments made by the two selectmen in a public hearing. Since then, the town has continued with business, but residents have been divided on many issues, including the hiring of town employees and the proposed sale of town-owned lakefront property.

Buchstaber addressed the residents present, restating what he had said during that hearing.

“All that I said was, if everybody quits, because that was the rumor, there needs to be an audit done because I think that’s suspicious,” Buchstaber said, once again mentioning that the audit found nothing suspicious.

Buchstaber said he offered a “heartfelt apology” to the two former town clerks, Ham and Judy Biggar, and hoped everyone could move on.

“It will be put to rest tonight,” John Biggar, Judy Biggar’s husband, said after the meeting.