COLRAIN — In a 12-6 vote, residents voted down transferring $50,000 from an account for Highway Department wages to a new account for contracted snow and ice removal services.

Officials called a Special Town Meeting on Tuesday so voters could have their say on the singular warrant article. The new account would have been used to pay a yet-to-be-determined snow removal company to help clear snow from the roads this winter. This is the first winter the town sought an outside contractor in hopes of easing the workload of its three Highway Department employees.

Town Administrator Kevin Fox previously explained the town put out a job posting to hire a fourth Highway Department employee, but didn’t receive any applications despite advertising the position three separate times since July.

“It would have been wonderful to hire an employee, but we have no applications,” Selectboard member Thom Griffin told Town Meeting attendees. “We are in wintertime now; our current crew cannot handle it. We need a contractor on call to do this job.”

Over the past two years, the town lost two employees, including its superintendent, on its four-person force. Current Highway Superintendent Steve Daby was hired to fill the role vacated by Scott Sullivan, but the second position has remained unfilled. Daby was the Buckland facilities manager before he was hired.

With the department still short one worker, Selectboard members hoped the town could transfer the money set aside in the budget to pay this yet-to-be-hired worker to instead pay for a contractor to help with snow removal. They intended to stop the search for a new employee for the winter while using the funds for contracted work, then resume the search in the spring.

Residents who voted down the singular warrant article voiced feelings that the town needs another employee rather than a contractor.

“We need more employees now, not later on,” commented resident Mark Scranton. “To hire someone when we have all this equipment doesn’t make sense.”

People also voiced their dissatisfaction with Daby.

“We have three town employees. Why doesn’t our road boss plow?” Scranton asked.

The Selectboard responded that Daby does work on the roads. Attempts to reach Daby by phone and email were unsuccessful on Wednesday.

With the transfer request voted down, officials expressed concern that Highway Department employees won’t be able to keep up with snow and ice removal this winter.

“If we have a storm in December,” Griffin said, “we will be up a creek.”

Reach Bella Levavi at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.