REHOBOTH - As the town enters a new year, Rehoboth has the opportunity to elect a new selectman, that is, if it chooses to recall one seat.

Chairman Christopher Morra will defend his seat against opponent Gerald Schwall today in a special recall election as more than 1,300 residents signed a petition in an attempt to oust the sitting selectman.

Morra has been the subject of two recall petitions in the past year; the first was thrown out in court because Morra challenged the validity of some signatures on the recall petition, and the second has yet to be voided.

Morra is alleged by the recall group Reclaim Rehoboth to have abused his political authority by intimidating those who choose to disagree with his positions and his strict enforcement of the town's gravel removal procedures.

Morra, who is the board of selectmen's liaison to the police department, has also been accused of creating tension with the police by speaking to officers in a demeaning manner, creating low morale in the department, according to police chief Norman Miranda Jr. After today's election, all eyes may be on the school department in town during 2008.

The Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District is seeking $3.6 million to replace what it says were cuts in the budget from the fiscal year that ends June 30.

The proposed budget, which seeks to restore teaching positions that were cut last year in all Rehoboth schools, has a $3.6 million increase from the current 2008 budget.

Rehoboth grades kindergarten to Grade 8 suffered the brunt of last year's budget crisis in the D-R district, having to make $2.3 million in cuts, school officials say.

Under the budget pushed by the school committee, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School would receive seven new teaching positions, including a full-time math teacher, a special education teacher, and part-time English, art, and physical education positions.

Superintendent Francis Connor's proposal would restore two foreign language teachers at Beckwith Middle School, where the foreign language program was cut, as well as four teaching restorations and six new positions at Beckwith alone.

Palmer River Elementary School would restore four full-time teaching positions in grades 1-4, a library/media specialist, full-time secretary, and a custodian, all which were cut from last year's budget.

Connor will also retire in June after 20 years in the district, and the regional school committee is currently seeking a candidate to succeed him.