Whole Maine city pressured to shut after its only clerk quits over denied trip

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

Christen Bouchard was the city clerk in Passadumkeag, Maine, since 2020. She requested a two-week vacation about a 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 no one to register vehicles, maintain crucial records, or talk with the state Division of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The place of town clerk isn’t the only essential opening in Passadumkeag. The city of 356 folks also lacks a code enforcement officer, an assessor, an animal control officer, and a faculty administration official, based on The Bangor Daily Information.

The town workplace shut down to in-person visitors until additional notice, in response to a statement despatched out on April 19.

“The Treasurer might be in a couple of days every week to simply accept funds on things resembling taxes,” the assertion learn. “Please name the workplace before heading out to do any enterprise right here as there are not any designated hours of operation now.”

Treasurer Barbara Boyer has apparently been coming into the workplace to gather tax payments. Nonetheless, she is reportedly unable to register autos, do building inspections, conduct animal welfare checks, or undertake many of the different tasks that Ms. Bouchard was responsible for.

It’s unclear when the city will be able to fill the vacant positions and reopen for business. In March, town residents rejected a finances article meant to fund city operations after town officers failed to 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 beneath Maine regulation.

Town officials said that they are discovering it troublesome to fill the open posts as a consequence of financial uncertainties. It is also as a result of city’s small population, and the municipal roles being solely part-time. Ms Bouchard was only contracted to work 16 hours each week — though she mentioned she usually labored more — and was paid simply $13,500 per 12 months.

“We have been left with a mess from years of neglect and are doing as much as we can to get our town again so as,” first selectman Brad McKechnie said.

“I do consider in time with the workforce we have now, we are going to get Passadumkeag again so as and searching good, however it would take a bit and goes to be a problem for sure.”

For the time being, the people of Passadumkeag are relying on selectmen and other municipalities to perform fundamental governmental obligations. It includes getting registering their vehicles within the close by municipality of Howland.