From Candidate Inquiry to Town Attorney: The Documented Timeline of Timothy Towne’s Response
The Maine Mirror contacted Timothy Towne through his campaign account with a documented government-accountability issue. Towne responded. After subsequent scheduling requests received no response, Berwick’s Town Attorney entered the exchange, raising unanswered questions about where candidate correspondence ends and municipal representation begins.
Belgrade Select Board Delays Decision on Citizen Petition, Seeks Additional Legal Guidance
The Belgrade Select Board unanimously voted to delay a decision on a citizen petition signed by 276 registered voters, opting instead to seek additional legal guidance before determining whether the proposed ordinance will appear on the November ballot. The discussion focused on municipal authority, voter rights, and the legal questions surrounding the petition.
What Belgrade Residents Should Know Before Tuesday’s Select Board Meeting on the Citizen Petition
Belgrade’s Select Board is scheduled to continue discussion of a taxpayer-initiated ordinance during its August 4 meeting. Before the meeting, The Maine Mirror reviewed the official meeting packet, including the petition, the Budget Committee’s recommendation, and the legal opinion prepared by Bernstein Shur, to help residents better understand the issues expected to come before the Board.
Maine Mirror Deep Dive | Episode 008: Belgrade’s 2025 Audit Explained — Reserves, Taxes & the Citizen Petition
What do Belgrade’s 2025 audit, reserve funds, and citizen petition actually tell us? In Episode 008 of the Maine Mirror Deep Dive, we walk through the official public records—including the independent auditor’s presentation, the citizen petition, and the town’s legal review—to separate facts from confusion and explain what the documents reveal about the town’s finances, reserve policies, and what’s next.
Maine Towns Spend Thousands on FOAA Legal Fees While Public Records Requests Stall
A northern Maine town spent over $18,000 in taxpayer funds on legal fees tied to public records requests—yet key documents remain unproduced. A similar pattern of delays and silence in southern Maine raises broader questions about transparency, access, and the growing cost of obtaining public records across the state.