Three out of five members of the Camden Select Board voted to prevent a town vote on whether or not McLean Hospital should be permitted to operate a residential recovery center at Fox Hill despite knowing that many residents wanted to vote on this issue.
The week before this Select Board vote, I went door to door in Camden asking residents to sign an informal petition asking the Select Board to let the voters decide this issue.
Two hundred and ninety-one people signed directly, and an additional 80 called or emailed to “put their name down” as wanting this to go to a town ballot.
That is 371 Camden residents.
Of the people we talked to, there were only 40 “nos,” and half of those just wanted to learn more. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of a town vote on this issue. The Select Board was informed of this.
In the neighborhoods we found that Camden residents were very well informed on this issue.
They knew the pros and cons and they wanted to learn more. They want to vote.
But three men won’t let them. This patronizing patriarchal attitude is simply not necessary. I hope Fox Hill petitions to put this on the ballot so voters can decide in spite of the negative messaging of a few opponents.
Dan Domench
Union
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