Questions on the town’s invoice-signing policies in Epsom arose after it was determined two selectmen have been withholding their signatures from Highway Department invoices.

Nancy Wheeler, in charge of submitting and reviewing the town’s invoices, said the selectmen’s policy requires three signatures on department invoices before they can be paid. Part of those that are not paid are resubmitted to the board the following week for the appropriate signatures, but some of them have been paid regardless, which could put the town in a tough position with the auditor, she said.

On Oct. 1, selectmen voted to disband the Road Agent Committee and raised their discretionary funding allowance to $2,000 from $200 without needing a purchase order from Road Agent Gordon Ellis.

Selectman Bob McKechnie was excused from the meeting, and the vote passed 3-1, with Selectman Joni Kitson voting against it.

Invoices from the past two weeks show that neither Mc- Kechnie nor Kitson have been signing off on the Highway Department’s expenditures, including invoices for True Value, Concord Sand and Gravel, New Hampshire Mobile Repair, Your Crushed Stone Source, Davis Fuels and others.

Only two signatures were obtained for those invoices, as Selectman John Klose was absent for their submission to the board on Monday, Nov. 5.

Kitson declined to comment on why she has not signed the invoices, and McKechnie did not respond by press time.

At a meeting on Nov. 12 at which all board members were present, according to minutes, McKechnie said he would not sign the Highway Department’s invoices, adding that any invoices from other departments without his signature were oversights.

Kitson, according to minutes, said the entire board was not present when the RAC was eliminated, nonetheless the motion passed. She later said that she would not sign invoices she disagrees with.

Wheeler pointed out that if Kitson and McKechnie would not sign those particular invoices, and any of the other selectmen were absent from the meeting, the bills would not be paid on time.

She added that the invoices in question did not have questions or notes of concern on them for discussion at the following meeting.

Wheeler said the town’s yearly audits have been good, but that if the auditor selects a paid invoice with only two signatures, it would result in a write-up. She said the board should follow their own policy of three signatures or change the policy.

Most of the invoices come in by noon each Monday, Wheeler said, and are submitted that night to the board for signing. After that, she checks the invoices and writes the appropriate checks, she said.

“There’s nothing wrong with the policy. It’s the fact that certain selectmen are deciding to protest,” said Selectman Joanne Randall, but added that the invoice-signing policy would likely need to be changed to ensure that the town is following procedure.

Randall said it is all right for the selectmen not to sign off on something if they have a specific question or concern about it that they can note on the invoice for investigation, but most of the invoices have no such notes or inquiries on them.

“It’s not OK just to not sign it. If you’re not signing it because you don’t like the road agent and you don’t agree with the policy, that’s not OK,” Randall said, referring to the new purchase order policy.