3 months ago
MONMOUTH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A lot of people in the town of Monmouth, though not all, are hoping the fifth time is the charm. Residents of Monmouth are voting on a police budget for the fifth time. Back in June, the proposed budget was defeated by just two votes. But three succeeding elections have still resulted in "No" votes for the budget. According to selectman Douglas Ludwig, there are some people in town who simply want to see the budget for the department reduced. But a number of others have major complaints about how the department is managed and the conduct of some of its officers. They accuse the police of being "too heavy handed", according to one resident. But others say they have no gripes with the police force. Because of the battle over the police budget, the town has been working for five months without an approved overall budget. As a result, they haven't been able to send out tax bills, and the town has had to borrow one-and-a-half million dollars to pay the bills. Town manager Curtis Lunt was asking voters at the polls to fill out surveys, answering questions about the police department, its budget and the way the department is managed. Lunt says regardless of how the vote goes, the town has to find a way to move forward and try to address the concerns of residents.
