The town meeting, an annual occurrence in Gray for the past two centuries, may fade into history as the Town Council debates the best way to get residents involved in local government.

At their meeting Tuesday, May 19, councilors will vote on authorizing Town Manager Deborah Cabana to work with legal counsel to draft an amendment to the town charter that would eliminate the town meeting in Gray, where the annual meeting has been held since the late 1700s. The budget is now approved at the town meeting, then placed on the ballot for ratification. The amendment, which would have to be approved by voters at the polls, would simply cut out the first step in that process.

“I think it is way overdue,” said Council Chairman Peter Gellerson.

At this year’s town meeting, on May 2, just 75 residents came to vote, roughly 1 percent of the town’s population. “It makes me nervous to have 75 people decide the fate of the other 7,500,” he said.

However, regardless of how many people show up each year at town meeting, it remains the best way for residents to tell town government how they feel, said Andy Upham, a former town councilor who spoke several times at the May 2 meeting.

“I feel very strongly that towns, especially small towns, have an obligation to their residents. They are obligated to listen and to allow citizens to speak their minds,” said Upham. “The one place citizens have a direct voice is at town meeting.”

The number of people, said Upham, does not matter as much as the presence of the opportunity.

“They always can come as long as there is a meeting,” he said.

While the town charter states that the town meeting can be abolished through a petition, it does not say how the council can initiate the process. Finding that out will be part of Cabana’s order should the council decide to move forward with the plan. Before a decision is made and the matter is put to a vote, there would be plenty of opportunity for the public to comment, Gellerson said.

The low turnout at this year’s town meeting also made Councilor Mark Grover think Gray may be better served by voting on the budget solely at the polls.

“That’s 1 percent of Gray’s population making decisions for everyone,” Grover wrote in an e-mail. “After seeing increasing attendance at town meeting for the past few years, this was a surprise and a disappointment to me. Consider that this year we had a controversial policing vote, we had activities available for kids, and we even tested out the reverse 911 system by notifying everyone in town.”

It may be that the town meeting is an outdated form of governing, considering that Gray is growing, and that many of its residents work outside of town, said Gellerson. Town meetings also come from a time before radio, television and the Internet, he said.

“That was the only way for people within the town to communicate,” said Gellerson. “Today, it is so much different. Council meetings are put on television, they are publicly noticed, so if people want to get involved, they can get involved.”

While some would argue the town meeting gives residents a chance to alter and shape the town budget, Gellerson said budget items are rarely changed during the meeting, and if changes are made they often have unintended consequences. Hearings would still be held to gauge public sentiment, he said, and when it comes down to it, each resident would still have one vote.

“They’ve got the same shot in June. All they have to do is vote ‘no.'” Gellerson said.

Councilor Tracy Scheckel said it makes no sense to her for the town to hold both a town meeting and a referendum vote. Though the intention was to get more people involved in the process, Scheckel said the opposite has occurred.

“I think what it has done is actually raised apathy at the town meeting level because they think they can just go to the polls in June,” she said.

Gray’s process is unique, said Michael Starn of the Maine Municipal Association. While 18 Maine communities, including Gray, use some form of secret ballot voting in enacting a budget, Gray is the only one to have both the open town meeting and the referendum vote, he said.

The format in many cases takes away the right of most residents to decide on an issue, Scheckel said. On May 2, for example, residents at the town meeting decided against placing on the June 9 ballot a measure asking voters to hire a contract deputy to patrol Gray. While she did not support the measure, Scheckel felt it should have gone out to the larger group of voters.

“I guess the others don’t have the option to weigh in anymore,” she said.

Gray residents have for two centuries used the podium at town meeting to debate budget plans and other policies. After just 75 people showed up for this year’s meeting, held May 2, the Town Council is considering eliminating the annual tradition in favor of a referendum.

The town meeting, an annual occurrence in Gray for the past two centuries, may fade into history as the Town Council debates the best way to get residents involved in local government.

At their meeting Tuesday, May 19, councilors will vote on authorizing Town Manager Deborah Cabana to work with legal counsel to draft an amendment to the town charter that would eliminate the town meeting in Gray, where the annual meeting has been held since the late 1700s. The budget is now approved at the town meeting, then placed on the ballot for ratification. The amendment, which would have to be approved by voters at the polls, would simply cut out the first step in that process.

“I think it is way overdue,” said Council Chairman Peter Gellerson.

At this year’s town meeting, on May 2, just 75 residents came to vote, roughly 1 percent of the town’s population. “It makes me nervous to have 75 people decide the fate of the other 7,500,” he said.

However, regardless of how many people show up each year at town meeting, it remains the best way for residents to tell town government how they feel, said Andy Upham, a former town councilor who spoke several times at the May 2 meeting.

“I feel very strongly that towns, especially small towns, have an obligation to their residents. They are obligated to listen and to allow citizens to speak their minds,” said Upham. “The one place citizens have a direct voice is at town meeting.”

The number of people, said Upham, does not matter as much as the presence of the opportunity.

“They always can come as long as there is a meeting,” he said.

While the town charter states that the town meeting can be abolished through a petition, it does not say how the council can initiate the process. Finding that out will be part of Cabana’s order should the council decide to move forward with the plan. Before a decision is made and the matter is put to a vote, there would be plenty of opportunity for the public to comment, Gellerson said.

The low turnout at this year’s town meeting also made Councilor Mark Grover think Gray may be better served by voting on the budget solely at the polls.

“That’s 1 percent of Gray’s population making decisions for everyone,” Grover wrote in an e-mail. “After seeing increasing attendance at town meeting for the past few years, this was a surprise and a disappointment to me. Consider that this year we had a controversial policing vote, we had activities available for kids, and we even tested out the reverse 911 system by notifying everyone in town.”

It may be that the town meeting is an outdated form of governing, considering that Gray is growing, and that many of its residents work outside of town, said Gellerson. Town meetings also come from a time before radio, television and the Internet, he said.

“That was the only way for people within the town to communicate,” said Gellerson. “Today, it is so much different. Council meetings are put on television, they are publicly noticed, so if people want to get involved, they can get involved.”

While some would argue the town meeting gives residents a chance to alter and shape the town budget, Gellerson said budget items are rarely changed during the meeting, and if changes are made they often have unintended consequences. Hearings would still be held to gauge public sentiment, he said, and when it comes down to it, each resident would still have one vote.

“They’ve got the same shot in June. All they have to do is vote ‘no.'” Gellerson said.

Councilor Tracy Scheckel said it makes no sense to her for the town to hold both a town meeting and a referendum vote. Though the intention was to get more people involved in the process, Scheckel said the opposite has occurred.

“I think what it has done is actually raised apathy at the town meeting level because they think they can just go to the polls in June,” she said.

Gray’s process is unique, said Michael Starn of the Maine Municipal Association. While 18 Maine communities, including Gray, use some form of secret ballot voting in enacting a budget, Gray is the only one to have both the open town meeting and the referendum vote, he said.

The format in many cases takes away the right of most residents to decide on an issue, Scheckel said. On May 2, for example, residents at the town meeting decided against placing on the June 9 ballot a measure asking voters to hire a contract deputy to patrol Gray. While she did not support the measure, Scheckel felt it should have gone out to the larger group of voters.

“I guess the others don’t have the option to weigh in anymore,” she said.

Gray residents have for two centuries used the podium at town meeting to debate budget plans and other policies. After just 75 people showed up for this year’s meeting, held May 2, the Town Council is considering eliminating the annual tradition in favor of a referendum.