HARTLAND -- Selectmen's attempt on Tuesday to fire longtime Town Manager Peggy Morgan has prompted a group of residents to organize a demonstration.

On Monday around 6 p.m., residents plan to carry signs and march a half-mile from the town's bandstand to Morgan's house, said organizer Suzan Ackerman, a Hartland native.

Ackerman said she received about 30 phone calls Thursday from residents interested in showing support for Morgan.

"We knew nothing about this occurring," Ackerman said of selectmen's actions. "There were a lot of people wanting to show support, so I took the initiative to get some people together and show the selectmen there are many people in town who would like to see this worked out."

Meantime, selectmen have scheduled a special meeting Thursday to discuss Morgan's position. They are likely to enter executive session.

Morgan has been out on paid medical leave for cancer treatment since Sept. 4 and told selectmen Tuesday she felt well enough to return to work.

Without any public notice, the town's three selectmen then deliberated among themselves and returned with a 2-1 decision to terminate Morgan.

Under Maine law, public notice is required for all public proceedings, even if board members enter executive session to discuss personnel matters privately.

First Selectman Harry Gould and Selectman Greg Tasker voted for the termination and Selectman Mike Brown did not, according to Morgan.

Gould backtracked on the vote the following day, Wednesday, acknowledging in an interview that the hastily convened vote "was illegal" and no official decision had been made.

The feud between selectmen and Morgan comes at a bad time for the town, which is struggling to figure out how to pay $1.2 million in debt, of which $400,000 is due to School Administrative District 48. Lawyers for the town and SAD 48 are attempting to broker a payment arrangement because the town was denied bank loans to pay the school bill.

In previous public meetings, selectmen have blamed the town's financial crisis on municipal miscalculations, but have also said Morgan was not guilty of wrongdoing or mismanagement.

Morgan believes selectmen now blame her for the town's financial woes. Gould defended Tuesday's vote because "the town is in the right direction now and we cannot go back to where we were two months ago."

He added that selectmen "don't want to place the blame on anybody."

Scott Monroe -- 487-3288, 861-9253

smonroe@centralmaine.com