For the second time this year, Temple’s town treasurer has submitted her resignation.
The Select Board accepted the resignation of Treasurer Shannon Kelley, effective Tuesday, during its meeting on Tuesday night. Kelley had previously submitted an intent to resign in March, along with multiple other employees and elected officials of the town office, all of whom claimed issues with Select Board member Gail Cromwell.
The board asked the resigning officials to stay on while they attempted to mediate the process, which most agreed to do. But since then, former Town Clerk Wendy Drouin has also permanently left her position.
The treasurer is an elected position. In the absense of a treasurer, the deputy treasurer fills the position, so Deputy Daryl Winebrenner will now take over the job. The treasurer has the ability to appoint a deputy with the approval of the Select Board. Those interested in the deputy position should contact the town office or Winebrenner.
Cromwell suggested that as the position is in transition, the board should consider addressing the stipend for the treasurer position, which Cromwell said was too high at $3,970 per year when compared with towns of similar size in the region. She suggested a stipend of $2,500 for the position would be more in line.
Cromwell also suggested that the hourly rate for the deputy treasurer position was too low at $11.67 and suggested raising it to $15 per hour. Selectman Ken Caisse said he had no issue with raising the deputy pay, but was not in favor of lowering the treasurer stipend “down a penny” unless it was through the official budgeting process and approved at Town Meeting.
After a back and forth, including a motion by Cromwell to lower the treasurer stipend that got no second, the board agreed to discuss the matter with Winebrenner and table the discussion until then.