LIVERMORE — Voters at town meeting Wednesday rejected two petitions that would have changed the treasurer and town clerk positions from elected to appointed.
Budget Committee member Brenda Merrill circulated a petition asking voters to consider the change.
Merrill said the committee discussed financing the treasurer and administrative assistant positions and putting the two jobs together. At the time, Treasurer Amy Byron was also serving as interim administrative assistant following the resignation of Carrie Castonguay. The first position is elected, the other appointed.
“It made sense to change at the time,” Merrill said.
Merrill said appointing the treasurer would provide flexibility and accountability while promoting skills and services that could be evaluated at regular intervals without bias.
“These two elected officials are responsible for nearly all of the town’s finances, further emphasizing the need for required skills for those positions,” Merrill said.
While the election process allows a democratic voice, the process is inadequate when it comes to a candidate’s professional qualifications, she said.
One voter said she wanted a Livermore resident holding the positions because they would have a vested interest.
Others said they didn’t want the vote taken away from them.
Selectperson Megan Dion opposed the change and said it would create a board with superpowers. The administrative assistant works for the Board of Selectmen, she said.
“The treasurer and town clerk work for the people. They work for you,” Dion said.
A motion to have the vote taken by secret ballot failed.
Voters rejected changing the treasurer position from elected to appointed by a vote of 49-57.
Byron told voters, “If the town clerk position becomes appointed and current Town Clerk Renda Guild is not rehired in two years, everything we have worked for (in regards to plates, stickers, registering big trucks, etc.) will end and go back to the state. You’ll have to pay the excise tax here and go to another town to finish the transaction.”
Voters opposed changing the town clerk position from elected to appointed by a vote of 36-40.
Voters also rejected a petition by resident Dwight Hines to create a recall ordinance for town officials.
The way it is now, if selectmen don’t attend meetings nothing can be done about it unless they are convicted of a crime, he said.
“I think we have some problems,” Hines said.
With only nine voting in favor, the article failed to pass.
pharnden@sunmediagroup.net
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