Complete Maine city pressured to shut after its solely clerk quits over denied vacation

The only clerk in a small Maine city resigned after the board of selectmen denied her trip request.

Christen Bouchard was the town clerk in Passadumkeag, Maine, since 2020. She requested a two-week trip a few month and a half in the past. Her plea was denied by the board of selectmen. They claimed that no one was available to step in for her.

She left on April 7. The town has had nobody to register autos, preserve crucial data, or communicate with the state Division of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The place of town clerk isn’t the one vital opening in Passadumkeag. The city of 356 people additionally lacks a code enforcement officer, an assessor, an animal control officer, and a school administration official, in keeping with The Bangor Each day Information.

The town workplace shut all the way down to in-person visitors till additional notice, in line with an announcement despatched out on April 19.

“The Treasurer can be in a couple of days per week to just accept funds on things reminiscent of taxes,” the statement read. “Please call the office earlier than heading out to do any enterprise here as there are no designated hours of operation now.”

Treasurer Barbara Boyer has apparently been coming into the workplace to collect tax payments. Nonetheless, she is reportedly unable to register vehicles, do building inspections, conduct animal welfare checks, or undertake lots of the other duties that Ms. Bouchard was chargeable for.

It’s unclear when the city will be capable of fill the vacant positions and reopen for business. In March, city residents rejected a finances article meant to fund town operations after city officials did not adequately explain the reasoning for a proposed salary improve. The price range article also did not include funding for a code enforcement officer, a necessity below Maine legislation.

City officers mentioned that they're discovering it troublesome to fill the open posts on account of monetary uncertainties. It's also due to the town’s small inhabitants, and the municipal roles being solely part-time. Ms Bouchard was only contracted to work 16 hours each week — though she mentioned she typically labored extra — and was paid simply $13,500 per yr.

“We have now been left with a multitude from years of neglect and are doing as much as we are able to to get our city back in order,” first selectman Brad McKechnie stated.

“I do believe in time with the crew now we have, we will get Passadumkeag back in order and looking out good, but it's going to take a bit and goes to be a challenge for certain.”

In the interim, the people of Passadumkeag are counting on selectmen and other municipalities to carry out elementary governmental tasks. It consists of getting registering their automobiles in the close by municipality of Howland.