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Voters also will decide whether to further consider a town manager form of government.

By TUX TURKEL, Staff Writer June 4, 2009

Whether to continue studying the merits of a town manager form of government and choosing a new selectman will be on the minds of Buxton voters at this year's annual town meeting on Tuesday.

In the only contested election, former selectman Carol B. Sanborn will face Peter Burns, who has chaired the town's budget committee for the past five years. They are seeking to replace Clifford Emery, who isn't running for re-election, on the five-person board.

Sanborn and Burns are running during a period in which their rural suburb has experienced rapid growth and faces economic pressures brought on by the recession.

"The country and this state are experiencing the most difficult financial period that I have seen in my lifetime," said Burns, who has lived in Buxton 40 years.

His 25 years of managing workers, projects and budgets at a large company, and most recently as an inventory control associate at Cabela's, Burns said, have given him the business background to complement the current selectmen.

"I support responsible town government that will balance needed services within reasonable costs," he said.

Sanborn, too, has her eye on money. She believes her business background as an office manager and her experience in town government are important assets.

"The next few years are going to be extremely hard for the taxpayers," she said. "Some hard decisions are going to have to be made, and I can do that."

The race is expected to be tight, according to John Myers, Buxton's town clerk, and decided by relatively few voters at a meeting with no major issues. The town has more than 6,000 registered voters, but Myers expects only 1,000 or so to cast ballots.

Open seats for other positions have failed to draw more than one candidate. They include six slots on the charter commission, two on the school district and three on the planning board.

Also on the ballot is this question: "Shall a charter commission be established for the purpose of revising the municipal charter or establishing a new municipal charter?"

The selectmen put the matter before voters based on a recent, favorable vote on a nonbinding advisory question about setting up a town manager/selectman form of government. A nine-member commission will study the issue further.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at town hall. Absentee ballots also are available at town hall.

The annual meeting will continue on June 13 for voting on a series of budget and zoning changes.

The entire meeting warrant is available on the town's Web site at www.buxton.me.us/Pages/BuxtonME_News/I024318B3.

Staff Writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at:

tturkel@pressherald.com