NEW GLOUCESTER — Voters at Monday’s special town meeting restored the town’s full-time assessing position at $74,512. The vote overrides selectmen and budget committee members’ effort to outsource the position at $45,000.
By a vote of 49-29, full-time employee Nancy Pinette’s assessing agent post will be fully funded during 2010-11. The $74,512 includes $55,000 in salary and expenses for running the office and training, but not about $12,000 in costs for health insurance and Social Security for the position.
Voters were required to vote by ballot several times during the meeting by moderator Donald Libby.
At the annual town meeting May 3, voters refused to fund eight municipal accounts, including the assessing budget, that were packaged together in the warrant. Voters opposed outsourcing the assessor job held by seven-year-employee Nancy Pinette.
Voters also complained the budget process lacked transparency and information was not provided accurately or in a timely manner.
In recent weeks, the board went back to call upon a volunteer budget committee for a recommendation that both the board and budget group supported to send the same request of $45,000 back to voters.
But most members of the public said they would gladly fund the additional $41,000 needed to restore full-time assessing services despite the board’s and committee’s refusal to raise taxes or take additional funds from a large undesignated fund balance, citing hard economic times and dwindling resources.
Despite former Selectman Lenora Conger’s effort to amend the warrant article to raise just the $45,000 to use the outside services, voters nixed the lower figure after a long debate.
Voters agreed to allow Pinette, who has been on medical leave, to speak by a paper ballot vote of 71–24.
“This has been a nightmare. I do not earn $86,000, but work five days per week at $55,000,” Pinette said.
Pinette said she was never offered a chance to consider cutting back her hours and has not heard from the board or town manager since her recent leave of absence for medical reasons.
“I feel this was not a budget issue, but a personal issue — a disguise to get rid of me,” Pinette said.
After restoring Pinette’s position, voters also funded municipal accounts for selectmen, administration, town meetings/elections, code enforcement, and legal and unanticipated expenses at $385,657.
Voters also approved $746,000 to fund insurance, Social Security/retirement and debt service.
In addition, they approved using $150,000 from capital reserves to buy a wheel loader for Public Works.
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