PITTSTON — Residents have until Monday afternoon to turn in nomination papers to fill the empty seat on the Board of Selectmen.

The town will hold the election along with the school budget referendum from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 4 at the Town Office.

Voters recently ousted Ted Sparrow Jr. from the position following public outcry about the board’s decision to fire the longtime town clerk. Sparrow was the last remaining board member who had voted to not reappoint Ann Chadwick two months ago.

The three-person board now has two members.

Jane Hubert handily defeated Wanda Burns-Macomber in the regularly scheduled town election in March.

Then voters elected Jean Ambrose two weeks ago from a field of four candidates to replace Tim Marks, who had resigned as a result of a recall petition to remove the selectmen.

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In the same election, residents voted 290-90 to remove Sparrow from his post.

Residents have until 3 p.m. Monday to turn in nomination papers with at least 25 signatures for their names to be on the ballot.

Three candidates — Burns-Macomber, Daniel Myshrall Jr. and Vicki Kelley — have taken out papers to run for the open seat, according to Town Clerk Rose Webster.

Myshrall received 71 votes to Ambrose’s 171 in the last election.

Burns-Macomber lost to Hubert 350-39 in March. Stanley Byrne also received 101 votes.

Hubert said she’s anxious to fill the board so it can begin discussing what needs to be done for next year’s budget.

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Residents already approved a budget at the Town Meeting in March, but those angry about Chadwick’s dismissal cut $31,000 for the town clerk’s position and $9,000 for legal fees.

The $31,000 was cut from the general administrative services budget and not specifically the town clerk’s salary, but residents made their intentions clear.

Hubert said she doesn’t think the new board will face the same “antagonized behaviors” present at the Town Meeting.

“I think people are realizing government needs to go on,” she said. “We do need to meet our bills. We do need to fund staff.”

Hubert said she would like to hold the special town meeting at the end of June or in early July.

Besides restoring some funding to hire more administrative help at the Town Office, Pittston needs to restore legal funding to pay its bills.

The previous board accumulated $9,000 in legal fees in February and March as a result of the personnel matter and recall effort. The board had permission from the town to spend only $3,000.

Paul Koenig — 621-5663
pkoenig@mainetoday.com


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