HERMON – In a contentious special town meeting on Thursday night, more than 75 residents crammed into council chambers to vote on whether to appropriate $150,000 for the Penobscot Snowmobile Club.

The vote went in favor of expending the funds, but not without at least one motion to put the topic out to a ballot, and some residents questioned the legality of the outcome.

Residents voted 47 to 31 to give the club $150,000 over the next five years to construct a new building, buy newer grooming equipment and maintain current trails and snowmobile bridges.

“Snowmobiling is a big thing for the state of Maine,” club member Mikey Godin said. “A lot of people use our trails, and we’d like something back.”

Godin said the local economy benefits from the snowmobile trails, especially the stores and restaurants. The club maintains 38 miles of trails in town, in addition to the community service groups they support, Andy Witham, the club’s president, said.

While many people said they support the club itself, they feared allotting such funds to a private organization might set a precedent the town couldn’t support.

“Are we not opening up the flood gates for special interest groups in town?” Dennis Hurd said.

Although the 147-member club is open to the public and the building is open for public use, it is a separate entity from the town.

On January 18, the town will vote in another special town meeting, during which the Greater Hermon Community Athletic Complex Committee seeks $400,000 to support an expanded athletic facility near the high school, which would include eight lighted tennis courts.

In the past, the snowmobile club has raised its money, but in recent years it has saved only $10,000 for projects, Robin Bernardini, a club board member, said.

“There’s no question there is financial need,” resident Dan Petersen said. “The question to me is what’s the public benefit. In thumbing through this packet, I don’t see a public benefit.”

Before the group finally voted on the posted article, Hurd made a motion to put the issue to a community ballot at a future date. That motion failed 41 to 36.

Once residents voted to appropriate the money, several residents asked about an appeal process, while others claimed the vote was illegal because unregistered voters took part in the hand count.

One youth raised his hand, admitted he was under 18, apologized, and said he made the mistake because he was unsure of the rules.

After the vote, Town Manager Clint Deschene encouraged all residents with remaining questions to contact him at the town office.

Four other articles were passed during the special town meeting, but the snowmobile club article continued to provoke conversation in the council meeting held after. Many councilors noted the increased resident involvement and participation.