POTSDAM – A banner protesting the building of a new town hall in Postdam was put up in front of the site of a new town hall at 18 Elm St. before it was taken down by workers early Thursday morning.

The banner said, “The voters said no, but forward they go. Who pays for this stuff? It’s you!!”

No one has, as yet, taken credit for making and hanging the banner.

The reference to voters is about a referendum in 2008 when voters turned down a proposed $3.2 million expenditure for a new town hall on Lawrence Avenue.

The referendum was forced by former Potsdam activist Jason Rohrer, who circulated a petition to put the bonding question up to a vote of town residents. Otherwise the plan for the new town hall on Lawrence Avenue next to A.A. Kingston Middle School would have proceeded without any more input.

The town has decided to build a new town hall at 18 Elm St. after years of effort at finding a place to build a new one or refurbishing the outmoded and inadequate 123-year-old building at 35 Market St. that now serves as town hall.

The lot at 18 Elm has been cleared for construction this summer.

Work on the $1.76 million project is to begin this month, and is expected to be done by November.

The photograph was taken by Ryan Meashaw.