Referendum Summary replaces controversial Voter Guide

The Lebanon Voice Voter Guide news story from last year.

LEBANON - Selectmen earlier this month said there would be no Voter Guide, but last week they put out a taxpayer-funded “Referendum Summary,” which argues for “Yes” votes on paying off the Rescue Department debt of $200,000 and approving the new Mass Gathering Ordinance, a version of which was defeated just six months ago.

The Referendum Summary makes it appear as if Skydive New England were backing the referendum. In fact, they don’t.

The final sentence of the Mass Gathering pitch states, “The Selectmen thank Skydive New England for all of their helpful input in the proposed revisions to this ordinance.”

In fact, Skydive New England owner Fred Cotreau does not back the ordinance voters will see tomorrow.

Just Chevy Trucks owners Kurt and Brenda Zeller also don’t approve it and say it threatens their very existence as a Lebanon business.

The two businesses are the only Lebanon businesses affected by the ordinance.

The Zellers vehemently argued against the ordinance at last month’s Public Hearing on the Referendum Questions, but there is no mention of Just Chevy Trucks or 4X4 Proving Ground in the Referendum Summary put out by selectmen.

Only 40 or so residents attended the Public Hearing.

The Zellers sent out a private mailing to residents this weekend condemning the ordinance again as they did in November.

North Berwick, South Berwick and Berwick do not send out a Voter Guide, a Referendum Summary or anything like it, officials in all three towns told The Lebanon Voice today.

Prior to last year’s election, then-selectman candidate Thompson said last year’s guide “smacked of desperation.”

He added that he was in favor of educating voters, but “if they’re trying to persuade voters, I’m not for that.”

Former candidate Robie Marsters called it a “gimmick.”

Former selectmen candidate and current House 20 candidate Bettie Harris-Howard said last year that she thought any voter guide should have had both sides of an issue.

"If they wanted to put in information … they should have had both the pros and cons," Harris-Howard said in last year’s story.

Below are links to last year’s news story and opinion piece on the Voter Guide.

http://www.thelebanonvoice.com/-updated-voter-guide-called-an-abuse-a-gimmick-cms-243

http://www.thelebanonvoice.com/we-have-got-to-lose-this-voter-guide-cms-248