In the end, the question was no question as Bremen voters went to the polls Tuesday to decisively reject an opportunity to repeal Bremen’s longstanding prohibition against the sale of alcohol in town.
Bremen selectmen placed the issue before the voters in a series of five related questions, approval of any one of which would have legalized alcohol sales in town in some capacity. Approval of all five would have allowed liquor, malt liquor, and wine to be sold in Bremen by licensed establishments, for consumption on premises or off, seven days a week.
The closest vote among the five questions was Question 1, which would have allowed the sale of liquor to be consumed on the premises of a licensed establishment on days other than Sunday. The question failed on a tie, 112-112. Two ballots were left blank.
Question 2, authorizing agency liquor stores to operate in Bremen on days other than Sunday failed 133-88. Five ballots were left blank.
Question 3 would have authorized the sale of malt liquor and wine, on days other than Sunday, for consumption off the premises of a licensed establishment. The question failed 121-100. Five ballots were left blank.
Question 4 failed 120-102. Approval would have allowed the sale of liquor to be consumed on the premises of a licensed establishment on Sundays. Four ballots were left blank.
Question 5 would have allowed the sale of malt liquor and wine on Sundays, for consumption off the premises of a licensed establishment. The question failed 132-92. Two ballots were left blank.
In other polling results, Bremen voters reelected Stephen Page to a three-year term on the board of selectmen with 121 votes.
Stephen Wallace was reelected to a three-year term on the Bremen Planning Board with 196 votes. Justin Staley received 12 write-in votes for the planning board and there were 244 other write-in votes recorded.
David Osier was elected to the school board for a three-year term with 170 votes.
Page, Wallace and Osier were the only declared candidates in their races.
Melanee Gilbert and Blair Pyne were each elected to the Bremen Harbor Committee with five and four write-in votes respectively.
Voters also approved the $6,234,082.24 Great Salt Bay Consolidated School District budget as adopted at the May 11 district meeting with a vote of 190-27.
By a vote of 166-49, Bremen voters agreed to continue the budget validation referendum process, for the next three years, approving the article 116-49.
Story by Sherwood Olin.
This story appears through a media partnership with The Lincoln County News.
