Right to Know on selectmen benefits denied

LEBANON - The town of Lebanon has rejected a Lebanon Voice Right to Know request asking for town records that reflect selectmen in 2010 were paid town benefits based on hours worked as selectmen.

The Lebanon Voice was notified of the decision by telephone on Friday by town personnel.

In The Lebanon Voice request, editor Harrison Thorp asked for "Records that show selectmen in 2010 received holiday and/or annual leave or other town benefits."

Selectman Royce Heath, who recommended on the town ballot that selectmen be paid town benefits like any other worker, said at a public hearing last month that there was precedent, that a selectman had been paid for benefits in 2010.

Lebanon Right to Know personnel said on Friday that there were actually two selectmen in 2010 who benefited by such a policy, but they could not release the documents because the two were both employees of the town as well. They further said that the decision was based on legal opinion from town counsel.

The Lebanon Voice argued that benefits that were paid contingent on selectmen hours should be open to the public since those benefits were paid based on hours during which they worked as elected officials rather than town employees.

Of the three selectmen in office in 2010, two were also town employees: transfer station manager Ronal Patch and former assistant rescue chief Jason Cole.

A ballot question tomorrow asks whether residents should approve town benefits packages for selectmen who work the required hours, which in 2010 were dropped to 25 but recently pushed back to 35.