BELGRADE — Carol Carothers has tried three times to get a citizen tax initiative to limit spending and increase transparency on the ballot, and now she’ll be waiting a little longer.

At a meeting Tuesday, the Board of Selectpersons decided to delay her latest attempt for a further review in August.

Along with Carothers, petitioners have collected enough signatures to get the initiative, which would change the way the town votes on spending and limit the amount of taxes it can raise, on the ballot.

But if the selectboard finds the proposed ordinance conflicts with state law, it won’t go before voters in the November election.

At Tuesday’s meeting,the selectboard decided to revisit the issue in August to give selectpersons time to review possible conflicts with the law, and to give the budget committee time to consider the proposed ordinance.

Carothers and the Citizen Taxpayer Committee gathered 276 signatures on their petition, which Carothers hopes will increase transparency, move votes on town spending to secret ballot and limit the amount the town can increase taxes by each year.

Grady Burns, the town’s attorney, said town officials could choose not to put the ordinance on the ballot because of its second clause, which requires all spending proposals more than $175,000 and all bonding be subject to vote by secret ballot.

Maine law dictates that municipal officers have full discretion over the method of voting for town meeting matters, with a couple of exceptions. So, the selectboard would have grounds to say the ordinance conflicts with that law.

Town elected officials also have the option to put the proposed ordinance on the ballot in November, and if it passes, not implement the second clause.

The budget committee plans to discuss the ordinance at its next meeting and invited petitioners to attend. Bruce Galouch, budget committee chair, said he thinks a lot of what the petition is trying to achieve could be worked into financial policies.

At the meeting, which about 25 people attended, the selectboard agreed to table the issue until August to give the budget committee time to consider implementing new financial policies, and to give the board time to consider the possible legal conflicts.

Carothers urged the board to put the ordinance on the ballot.

“I have collected over 600 signatures over the last couple of years on petitions about visibility of what’s happening with the budget,” Carothers said. “Put it on the ballot, give the voters who have requested it numerous times a chance to vote on it.”

The budget committee will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, and the selectboard will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 and 18; both meet at the town office, 990 Augusta Road.