DAYTON — With the meeting room in the municipal building filled nearly to capacity Monday night, a resounding majority of voters chose to approve a committee to look into withdrawing from Regional School Unit 23.

At the Special Town Meeting, the vote was 115-3 to approve the formation of the committee, along with up to $30,000 in town funds.

“I hate to say it and gloat, but I knew that it was going to happen,” said Selectmen Chairman Ted Poirier after the meeting. Poirier said that people are “sick and tired” of spending money wastefully.

“I’m glad the people spoke tonight,” said Selectman Scott Littlefield. “It showed that they want out.”

The vote to approve the withdrawal committee was step four of a 22-step process to withdraw from the RSU, an effort that began with a petition led by former Selectman Michael Polakewich.

The meeting itself went by with comment from only one person: Polakewich. He told the voters they weren’t voting that night whether to withdraw from the RSU, but only on whether to approve a study committee, and he noted there would be more public votes in the future.

The town clerk must now notify the Commissioner of Education and the secretary of the RSU of the vote, and send an explanation by the board of selectmen as to why the town wishes to withdraw from the RSU.

After this step is completed, a four-member committee will be formed, which by law must consist of a member of the RSU board, a member of the general public, a member of the group filing the petition and a member of the board of selectmen.

RSU 23 covers Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach. Two weeks ago, residents from Saco also voted to approve a withdrawal committee for their city.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.