A Superior Court Judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 12 of 14 municipalities in Androscoggin County against the county and its commissioners.
The suit alleges the commissioners improperly set and approved their own salaries, benefits and budget.
Attorney Peter Brann is representing the municipalities. He says what the towns and cities have wanted to do all along is engage with the commissioners in an effort to try and resolve this matter.
“And if that doesn’t work out then we’re prepared to go forward and say under the state law and the charter what the county commissioners did was illegal and therefore it should be set aside,” he says.
Brann says they would like the court to rule that there has to be some sort of independent oversight of what the commissioners are doing. He says the towns and cities provide the lion’s share of the county budget and should have some say in how the money is being spent.
