LIVERMORE — Selectpersons voted 3-2 Thursday to appoint Kurt Schaub as acting treasurer until they find someone to finish Cathy Lee’s term.

Lee, who was elected for two years in June, resigned unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon. She delivered her handwritten letter to Chairman John Wakefield’s home. It read: “To the Select Board – You win, I quit. Last day Oct. 23, 2012.”

She was elected over Schaub.

Voting for Schaub’s appointment were Wakefield, Tom Berry and Wayne Timberlake. Opposed were Peter Castonguay and Megan Dion.

Timberlake made the motion to appoint Schaub, he said, based on his 10 years as town treasurer.

Prior to the motion, selectpersons voted 2-3 to appoint Deputy Treasurer Jean Tardif to be acting treasurer. The motion failed, with Dion and Castonguay in favor and Berry, Timberlake and Wakefield opposed.

Wakefield said he directed Schaub, the board’s administrative assistant, to ask town auditor Ron Smith his recommendation on how to proceed after Lee’s resignation. In an email to Smith, Schaub said Lee spent more time on the job than it was estimated to take and what was budgeted for.

The Board of Selectpersons combined the treasurer’s position a decade ago with the administrative assistant position Schaub has held for 12 years. Schaub estimated he spent four to five hours a week on treasurer’s duties and the town budget reflects that.

Smith recommended giving the treasurer duties to a town employee and holding a special town meeting to get more money appropriated for the position. He also recommended setting the treasurer’s hours and compensation before appointing someone, and having that person sign an agreement.

Smith said Schaub’s estimate of time spent as treasurer is fine, if the town gets a qualified person that understands not only the business but the computer software.

“That’s where I see a problem,” Smith wrote. “I would consider going, because of this, to a higher estimate of eight to 10 hours per week or around not to exceed $9,000 to $11,000 as an estimate.”

Selectpersons tabled action until its Nov. 5 meeting on spending $1,500 to $2,000 on an audit of town financial records from July 1 to Oct. 23, which is standard procedure after a treasurer leaves.

They also tabled action on a job description for treasurer until their next meeting.

When Wakefield opened discussion to the public on the treasurer matter, Jean Tardif, a Town Office employee and Livermore resident, said she was not surprised the board appointed Schaub.

“You have never taken Cathy or me seriously,” she said. “I’m deputy treasurer. I was not brought in to talk about this.”

She said she wanted people to know the truth and how appalled she is by the treatment of Lee by the board and Schaub.

“She asked a simple question,” Tardif said.

After the meeting, she said Lee had asked selectpersons before the election what the treasurer is paid.

Wakefield said Thursday night after the meeting that they didn’t know what the compensation was at that time, because they combined the treasurer and administrative assistant positions.

After the meeting, Tardif also accused the board of lying and treating people like “crap” based on a simple question. She also accused Schaub of not training Lee.

“Cathy has been wronged on so many levels,” Tardif said. She said Lee is owed an apology.

At the meeting, Lee’s husband, Dennis, stood up for her and said the issue was still open for discussion as far as he is concerned.

Resident Charles Merrill said the town should have a job classification and qualifications for a treasurer. He suggested the town appoint someone to  fill the treasurer’s position until the term expires in 2014 and ask voters next June if they want to change the position from elected to appointed.

Town Clerk Renda Libby said the town’s field auditor had previously suggested the Town Office employees be cross-trained and it hasn’t happened.

Selectperson Dion made a motion to have Schaub cross-train employees in duties. The board approved.

Wakefield asked Schaub how he felt about that. Schaub said he would like to talk to selectpersons in executive session about it. He was not opposed, he said, but wanted to talk about his responsibilities.

Wakefield said after the meeting that selectpersons tried to find resolutions to the issues and met with Lee and Schaub in executive session.

“I do not agree with much of what” was said in public session. “They have a right to their opinion,” he said.

Schaub said he tried to train Lee. He even worked with her Monday and did some of the work himself. He thought things were getting better, he said after the meeting.

Wakefield said he thought so, too.

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