ST. ALBANS – More than 150 people came to the St. Albans Town Hall Monday night seeking answers to why the two-man Board of Selectmen recently voted not to renew Town Manager Larry Post’s contract.

They asked questions, got angry, asked more questions, applauded loudly, asked more questions, and – after nearly two hours of discussion – didn’t get a single answer. To every question asked of him, Selectman Dan Hanson answered, “No comment.”

Selectman Wolfgang “Gus” Fasse sat quietly, only saying that what had been discussed in executive session two weeks ago regarding Post’s contract could not be discussed in public.

Despite repeated demands from the residents that they had a right to know why they were losing Post after such a long tenure, the board refused to speak. When asked after the meeting if he had been advised by an attorney not to speak, Hanson again replied, “No comment.”

Standing in the crowded hall after the meeting, Gloria Barryhill summed the experience up best. “I never heard so much nothing in my life,” she said.

After a brief business meeting, the selectmen opened up the floor to public comment.

In a show of support for Post that caused him to remove his glasses, put his face in his hands and weep, more than 100 supporters stood and applauded to indicate to the selectmen that they wanted Post to stay.

“Many of us are here tonight in support of Larry Post,” one woman said. “We have absolutely no confidence in our selectmen and wish you’d resign.”

“You will be voted out in March,” promised local lawyer Michael Wiers.

In case the board wasn’t swayed by their enthusiasm, supporters immediately promised a petition drive to force the board to rethink its decision. Doug Spalding and Wiers said they have not formulated the exact wording of the petition, but Wiers said there was no process in law to recall the selectmen.

The pair were warned early, however, that they were walking on thin ice. At the start of the meeting, dozens of Post’s supporters wore large white stickers that said, “No Confidence In Selectmen.”

It was a clear reference to the only reason that Hanson and Fasse gave to not renewing Post’s contract earlier this month. After an executive session two weeks ago, the board announced it was not renewing the contract because it had “no confidence” in the town manager.

At the heart of the split between the board and the town manager is an eminent domain issue that was voted on by the town a decade ago and has since landed the town and Post in court.

Resident Gary Jordan has sued the town three times regarding the eminent domain, an issue he continued to push Monday night despite catcalls from the audience. Jordan repeatedly took the floor to prove his case, citing court testimony, letters from attorneys and continuing to refer to stone wall boundaries. Each time he spoke, detractors yelled for him to “take it to court” and “sit down.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” one woman shouted when Jordan asked 88-year-old Arthur Vicnaire to stand and speak on the eminent domain issue. “Can I finish?” he asked. “No. No,” the crowd yelled.

Post himself addressed his supporters, saying he was taking legal action to retain his job.

“It is my wish to serve this town and community,” he said, adding that it indeed was a conflict with the board over the eminent domain issue that caused the split.

Post said that his reputation and job were on the line and after the board did not renew his contract, he made a list of the reasons to go and the reasons to stay.

“I am weary of battle,” he admitted. “But this community is home and its members are like family. I can’t think of a better reason to stay.”

At that point, an audience member shouted out, “Except that the town wants you to stay.”