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Updated at 6:51 AM increase font size Three tie votes show council split on candidates. By Eriks PetersonsSpecial to the Sun Journal Read Article MECHANIC FALLS  — Town councilors deadlocked three times Thursday night on votes to fill a vacancy on the panel. The 2-2 tie votes means the motions failed to pass. Norma Crabtree, Raymond Lavoie and Christopher Strout applied for the seat held by John Emery who resigned in April and passed away soon after. State requirements did not allow the vacancy to be filled at the June 8 municipal election. The Town Charter requires the council to appoi...

Maher’s last day will be May 31. “This environment, where councilors refuse to communicate with me and have repeatedly sought to shorten or eliminate my contract, is untenable and so unpleasant that I have no other option but to seek alternative employment,” Maher wrote in his letter of resignation. Related Maher, a resident of Poland, who is in his 30s, has had a rocky relationship with the council, culminating in the council firing him in June 2019, saying he was “not a good fit.” Under the threat of a lawsuit, the council rescinded its action two months later. Maher also threaten...

Read Article MECHANIC FALLS — The Town Council on Tuesday finally resolved the discrepancy between the town manager’s length of contract and the Town Charter. The charter says the town manager shall serve for a maximum three-year term. Town Manager Zakk Maher, however, was offered and signed a four-year deal when he was hired in 2018. Maher had threatened to resign for breach of contract if the council voted to change the length from four years to three to align the contract with the charter. After postponing a decision last month to consult with the town attorney, the council agreed to ...

Read Article MECHANIC FALLS — The Town Council approved changes to three ordinances Monday night, but sent one dealing with food sovereignty back to the Planning Board for further study and exploration. The decision to postpone action on the Food Sovereignty Ordinance was made by Councilor Raymond Lavoie, who expressed concern that the definition of a farm needs further clarification and specific language. The ordinance basically states that farmers are free to sell what they grow directly to consumers at their farms. The preamble of the ordinance states that people, “have the right to p...