Fayston officials had planned to contract with the Washington County Sheriff's Department for a limited amount of law enforcement for the town, the only Valley town with no police coverage.
The article was passed by the voters on Town Meeting day, by a narrow 59-54 margin. The town received a petition containing the signatures of 110 registered voters and scheduled the revote within the allotted 60-day period.
PAPER BALLOTS
Votes were cast by paper ballots, and the article language for the new vote was identical to the original.
The revote was to rescind the original article; therefore, a yes vote indicated that the voter was in favor of rescinding the article and a no vote signifies that the voter was not in favor of keeping the original article as passed.
According to state statute, "A majority vote in favor of reconsideration or rescission, of a question voted on by paper or Australian ballot, shall not be effective unless the number of votes cast in favor of reconsideration or rescission exceeds two-thirds of the number of votes cast for the prevailing side at the original meeting unless the voters of the municipality approve a different percentage."
TWO-THIRDS OF 59
As a result, a successful rescission of Article 19 (ending police patrol in Fayston) requires votes that exceed two-thirds of the original 59 that voted in favor of it on Town Meeting Day. The final vote count was not available at press time.
If two-thirds of the number of total voters that voted at Town Meeting show up, the vote can pass by simple majority.
Article 19 reads, "Shall the voters of the town of Fayston vote to rescind 'Article 19' shall the town of Fayston engage the Washington County Sheriff's Department from April 1, 2009, until December 31, 2009, for an amount not to exceed $8,000?" as lastly voted and passed on March 3, 2009."
{loadnavigation}
