LYMAN — Residents will weigh in on election day on whether to relocate the town hall to the former Cousens Memorial School building.

The Cousens Memorial School, 382 Goodwins Mills Road, was built in 1937 with the help of Lyman native Horace Cousens, who upon his death bequeathed the town $20,000 to be used for educational purposes.

An addition was built on to the school in 1965.The building stopped being used as a school in 2007, and the next year the town purchased the building, along with the accompanying seven acres, for nearly $22,000.

The town has yet to come up with a permanent plan for the building, and town officials estimate the town spends up to $30,000 a year for heat and general maintenance. An ad hoc committee formed to study future use of the building believes the town should move its town offices out of the cramped town hall and into the former school, which is three times the size of the town hall at 11 South Waterboro Road.

The committee has developed a $1.1 million proposal to remodel the building to accommodate town offices and renovate the remaining space for community use such a community center, a food pantry or a historical society office.

Committee members say the impact to taxpayers if the town approved the proposal to fund the renovation would be $10 a year for every $100,000 of assessed property value. This could be offset by money the town would make if it were to sell the current town hall property, which is assessed at about $488,000.

Residents are being asked to weigh at the polls on three questions regarding the former Cousens School.

The first question will ask voters whether to allow the town renovate the former school building for use as a municipal office and community center.

The second question will ask voters whether to fund about $1.1 million renovations to the former Cousens School building by obtaining a bond for about $890,000 and using $250,000 of the town’s surplus.

The third question asks voters whether to allow the town to authorize the Select Board to sell the existing town hall, with the proceeds going toward the payment of the proposed Cousens School bond.

The committee’s proposal has the support of the selectman’s board. At a recent public hearing, a few residents questioned the financial figures on the project, and Select Board Chairwoman Nancy Harrison said the ad hoc committee had done a “very mindful and thoughtful” review, and she was confident of its work.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day at town hall.

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