By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
LUDLOW — The SAD 70 school board is short one member following the abrupt resignation of David Stevens on Thursday, Jan. 31.
Stevens said Monday that he felt it was in both the town’s and school board’s best interest for him to resign his post. Stevens was elected to the position in March 2011. His term does not expire until March 2014.
Stevens said there were two reasons he was resigning from not only the school board, but also his position on the town’s planning board, where he served as chairman.
“There is a group of people in town who are trying to focus away from the actual issues (facing the town) and for personal reasons are using me as the focus,” he said. “I am strictly removing myself as something they can use. It’s been bothering me that any group would try to use me in this way.”
SAD 70 Superintendent Bob McDaniel said Tuesday that although he had not received an official letter of resignation, he had spoken to Stevens to confirm his plans. Stevens informed McDaniel that he sent his resignation to SAD 70 school board chairman Estela Lane in an e-mail.
McDaniel said it was the responsibility of the Ludlow Board of Selectmen to appoint a new school board rep to fill the unexpired term of Stevens.
Stevens said in his e-mail to Lane he cited health issues as a motivating factor. Because of the issues in the town, Stevens said it has affected his ability to sleep at night.
“I refuse to allow anyone to use me to divert from the issues facing the town in the upcoming (March) election,” Stevens said. “It’s in the best interest in the town and me to remove myself.”
Some of the issues facing the town, according to Stevens, are three petitions that were circulated to put articles on the warrant for March town meeting.
According to Town Manager Diane Hines, three petitions were presented to the town on Tuesday, Jan. 29.
One of the petitions seeks to create a new ordinance that allows selectmen to be recalled from office. The town already has an ordinance to recall selectmen, Hines said, but to do so requires finding fault with a particular selectmen. The proposed ordinance, she said, looks to make it easier to remove an official from an elected position.
A second petition sought to create an ordinance to recall an elected school board member. Hines said, after receiving legal advice from the Maine Municipal Association, it was learned that recalling a school board member is not allowed under state law.
“The school board issue is out of our hands,” she said. “Once they are voted in, it would be up to the school board to remove a member.”
The third article seeks to increase the number of selectmen in the town from the current three-member system to five members. A similar effort was made a few years ago, but failed with voters, Hines said.
