MACHIAS — East Machias voters go to annual town meeting Monday despite the lack of an audit report for 1998.

Selectmen learned earlier this month the audit report for the year ending March 1, 1998, would not be done in time for town meeting. According to a letter in the town report from Auditor Douglas R. Hollingsworth, his firm is unable to release the report because of “unresolved issues.”

First Selectman Charles Fritz Sr. said he cannot comment on the nature of the unresolved issues because the matter is in the hands of the auditor and the town attorney. What selectmen are sure of, Fritz said, are the town books for March 1, 1998, through March 1, 1999.

Fritz said selectmen started the fiscal year that began March 2, 1998, by “zeroing out” the town books. Selectmen counted every penny the town had as of the last day of the previous year and began the town books from zero, he said.

East Machias had not used the zero balance method of accounting prior to this year. As a result, the amount of money taken during a 1993 burglary to the town office was never established, Fritz said. Because both income and bills flowed from year to year, there was no way to determine how much money was missing, he said.

Fritz said he promised townspeople during last year’s town meeting to try and answer that question. But, without a completed audit, he is unable to provide that information, Fritz said.

“We have been advised by our lawyer that we cannot say anything,” Fritz said.

Despite the lack of an audit, selectmen intend to go forward with the town meeting, although townspeople may vote to postpone, Fritz said.

Voters will consider 31 articles, including whether to accept the east side of Machiasport into the town of East Machias.

The Legislature must vote on whether the east side of Machiasport can secede from the rest of Machiasport, but a vote by East Machias is necessary if the Legislature approves the secession.

Machiasport eastsiders have been pursuing secession and annexation to East Machias since 80 of the east side’s approximately 90 residents signed a petition to secede last summer. The state-regulated secession process officially began last week when the secession group submitted their list of grievances to Machiasport selectmen.

State law requires proponents of secession to attempt to work out their problems with municipal officials and Machiasport selectmen have set an April 22 public hearing on the proposal.

Given the date of the Machiasport public hearing, it is unlikely any vote on the issue will take place during this legislative session.

Other issues East Machias voters will grapple with include a choice of options for paying to dispose of solid waste at the Marion Transfer Station. Article 30 outlines three choices, including a town appropriation of $70,000, a town appropriation of $60,000 to pay for household trash transported only by an approved hauler and an option where all residents will pay for their own trash disposal at a rate of 5 cents a pound.

Other warrant articles ask voters to appropriate $5,000 to initiate a self-insurance plan to cover East Machias’ share of the cost of fighting forest fires within town boundaries. Fire Chief Clinton Gardner said given the town’s current valuation, East Machias could end up paying $131,000 before the town becomes eligible for state reimbursement.

Voters will consider revisions to the town’s shellfish ordinance and an addition to the town building ordinance.

Town officials will be elected from the floor of the meeting. Town Clerk Dale Robinson said all incumbents are seeking re-election.

The East Machias town meeting will take place Monday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Machias municipal building.