Treasurer referendum defeated

By M. Dirk Langeveld, Staff Writer Sun Journal June 10, 2010

PARIS — A proposal to make the Oxford County treasurer an appointed rather than elected position was soundly defeated Tuesday.

With 30 of the county's 37 municipalities reporting, the count stood at 8,415 against the question and 4,693 for it. Results from Albany Township, Andover, Gilead, Hanover, Lincoln Plantation, Magalloway Plantation and Peru were unavailable.

“I'm very happy about the results,” said Treasurer Roy Gedat, an opponent of the proposal. “I guess I had every confidence that people did prefer an elected treasurer, and now hopefully we can go about the business of making county government more responsive to taxpayers.”

Commissioners proposed the change as a cost-saving measure. They said the county could appoint a current deputy treasurer to be treasurer, thereby absorbing those duties and eliminating about $20,000 in salary and benefits currently paid to the part-time elected treasurer. The commissioners said the watchdog duties of the treasurer would remain in place via regular audits and the annual work of a budget committee made up of town officials.

Opponents of the idea argued that changing the treasurer's status would make the post less accountable to the public as well as less willing to challenge the commissioners. Critics also charged that the move was partisan, as Gedat is running unopposed for treasurer and no Republican candidate was named in this year's primaries.

Commissioner Caldwell Jackson, who abstained from the vote to send the matter to a vote, said he expected the result because several people had spoken with him on the topic and said they favored an elected position.

“I didn't really agree with it, because I thought it we were going to do it we should do it on an off-year election,” he said.

“It's great to know what the folks think out there and that's what we'll definitely work towards, keeping that an elected position,” said Commissioner David Duguay, who supported the measure.

Knox County is the only Maine county with an appointed treasurer.