Nadeau is in; town manager is out

LEBANON - Lebanon residents will now have two selectmen who work part time at the town transfer station, where the manager is a former longtime selectman, himself.

Paul Nadeau, 80, in his first-ever run for selectman, breezed to an easy win over his three challengers, including incumbent Paul Philbrick.

Nadeau won handily with 369 votes, followed by incumbent selectman Paul Philbrick with 178, perennial candidate Corinna Cole with 157 and newcomer Leo Richer with 50.

Transfer station worker Royce Heath won a selectman's slot last June. Longtime transfer station manager Ronal Patch is also a former selectman.

Town activist Cole also saw both her town manager referendums fail, 480-255 for a town manager form of government, and 503-241 to authorize a $60,000 salary for that position.

Meanwhile, first responders at Fire and Rescue got a big boost with the authorization for the first time to hire per diem staff comprising two positions covering 14 hours of every day at each stationhouse, with Fire's $215, 748 budget approved 464-297; and Rescue's $235,605 budget OK'd 421-337.

Lebanon voters also approved the combining of both departments, 548-213, something Deputy Fire Chief Eric Neubert said was way overdue at last month's public hearing.

Residents also OK'd the transfer of Rescue Enterprise Fund money into the town's general fund.

No money items, in fact, were rejected, which selectmen have said will likely be reflected in a property tax rate that is expected to rise about 7 percent.

Residents, however, did handily reject the notion of paying any benefits to any elected official, including both selectmen and the road commissioner, who formerly received them. Selectmen benefits were rejected, 661-93, while road commissioner benefits were KO'd 475-282.

In other voting, an unopposed Joanne Potter won another three-year term on the SAD 60 school board, while former town clerk Laura Bragg and former selectman Judy Churchard won budget committee slots.