SKOWHEGAN — Skowhegan officials are considering changing the part-time roles of town clerk and treasurer into separate full-time positions as Gail Pelotte, who holds both positions now, prepares to retire in June after 31 years in local government.
Pelotte has held both part-time elected jobs since 2009, previously serving as a clerk at the municipal building since 1995.
Under the plan discussed at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, the town would split the responsibilities into separate, hired roles rather than keeping them as elected positions.
The proposed switch requires approval from voters at a town meeting before it can take effect. If passed, officials plan for the restructuring to go into effect July 1, immediately following Pelotte’s retirement.
Skowhegan voters last rejected a proposal to make the roles appointed in 2020, according to Pelotte, who noted that a similar measure was also defeated in 2016.
Town Manager Aaron Miller presented the proposal as a way to better manage the workload of each role and accelerate progress on the town’s backlog of fiscal audits.
“The current combination of Town Clerk and Treasurer responsibilities places a substantial amount of institutional knowledge and operational responsibility with a single position,” Miller stated in a memorandum to the board. “Separating these functions would reduce that concentration of responsibility and provide a stronger organizational framework for financial oversight and continuity.”
Pelotte echoed Miller’s concerns, describing the daily difficulty of managing both roles. “You have great ideas of what you’re going to do when you wake up at 4 in the morning,” Pelotte said. “When you leave at 4:30 p.m., you haven’t done anything of what you wanted to do.”
Miller recommended holding a public vote no later than Jan. 15, 2027. The board did not adopt an official date at Tuesday’s meeting, citing the need to complete administrative steps such as drafting informational materials and an official public notice.
Board members agreed that the current structure creates an overwhelming workload, noting that two distinct, full-time employees with relevant experience would bring significant benefits to the town.
Select Board Chair Kevin Nelson said that switching to hired roles would also allow the town to identify qualified candidates with relevant experience.
“We have a better chance of bringing someone in with the right skillset to hit the ground running,” Nelson said. “If we elected someone, they may not have that toolbox they need to come in and get going.”
Miller also proposed a $12,000 appropriation to hire a new treasurer prior to Pelotte’s retirement so the new employee could shadow and learn from Pelotte on the job.
“The first three years were bad,” Pelotte said, referring to her first term in both roles from 2009 to 2012 and the steep learning curve she experienced. “But the next three years were even worse.”
Regardless of whether the vote passes, the new treasurer will need to work on clearing Skowhegan’s multi-year backlog of municipal audits. The town’s last completed audit was for 2022. An experienced treasurer would provide greater support for the audits, according to Miller, but he did not give a firm estimate on how long he expects the process to take in total.
Town rules require officials to post a warrant notifying the public of the vote and provide details regarding the proposed items at least 90 days in advance of the annual town meeting in January.
If voters approve the measure, Miller’s memorandum recommends the town begin the recruitment process and establish a transition schedule in coordination with Pelotte.
Beyond the $12,000 in funding for the overlap period with the new treasurer, the board did not discuss additional expenses these actions would incur.
“We have much more work to do on this matter and the cost has not been determined at this time,” Miller said. “I expect we will have many more discussions about this with the Select Board, budget committee and, ultimately, the legislative body.”
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27.
