PARIS — The Select Board voted unanimously July 28 to cut the hours of the town clerk and code enforcement officer from full time to 24 per week.

Town Manager Natalie Andrews presented a spreadsheet showing options for cuts after voters at the annual town meeting in June trimmed nearly $1.2 million from the municipal budget — from $7.47 million to $6.3 million. 

“We’ll start with administration,” Andrews told the board. “A lot of effort went into this and a lot of correspondence with our attorney, the Maine Town & City Managers Association and other town managers around the state.

“The first option is the one presented at the last Select Board meeting, so you have something to compare them to,” she said.

Andrews said the second option was to look at nonessential services such as the Parks & Recreation director position.

Recently seated Selectman Steven Cronce asked who decides what positions and services are defined as essential.

Andrew said it is determined by state statute.

“The third option, which was spoken for by people at the town meeting, reflects cutting the town clerk and code enforcement officer to 24 hours per week,” Andrews said. “This would increase other office staff back (from 35) to 40 hours per week.”

Elizabeth Knox is town clerk and Chris Summers is code enforcement officer.

The reallocation of hours would still leave a $9,117 shortfall, which she said could be reduced from the wages line item and be cut from the administration budget in the future, if necessary. 

“So the two deputy clerks would remain at 40 hours a week and the clerk and CEO would go to 24?” Cronce asked.

“Yes, and the bookkeeper will go back to 40 hours as well,” Andrews told him.

“What would happen to parks & rec?” asked newly elected Selectman Robert Ripley.

Andrews said it would stay as a full-time role. The department director has experience with clerking, already handles General Assistance and grant-writing, and could provide assistance to the understaffed public-facing office. 

She explained that other municipalities do not recommend cutting a town clerk’s hours to part time. Additionally, Town Clerk Elizabeth Knox holds several appointments, including tax collector.

“If our tax collector is not in the building, you cannot collect taxes,” Andrews said. “The assistant clerks have not been deputized (to do that) and only the tax collector can do that. It is done at her will.”

“But it can be done, can’t it?” Ripley asked.

“Only if she wants to. It can only be done at her will,” Andrews repeated.

Cronce asked if Knox’s hours could be scheduled to be in the front office five days a week during the mornings only.

Andrews said it would be possible, but the consideration is that Paris collects $12 million in tax revenue over the front office counter.

“I would like the board to ask itself,” Andrews said. “What kind of town do you want? You’re telling me these cuts can be made, but at 35 hours, I have employees looking for jobs. 

“I don’t know that I can get others to apply for these jobs,” she said. “If we reduce benefits? If you can only make your tax payments between 8 a.m. to noon, you’re reducing services, again, to your town.

“You’re asking me to encourage business to come to this town, encourage families to move to this town, to encourage people to start businesses in this town. I ask the board to consider the direction we go in when it says ‘make those cuts, make those cuts,’” she said.

Cronce said replied, “The townspeople have voted (an admin budget of) $643,000 and my recommendation is that we figure out how to make it work without trying to buy $9,000.”

He said the three options were difficult to understand and suggested tabling the agenda item.

After further discussion, he motioned to choose option 3 to cut the town clerk and code officer to 24 hours and offset the remaining $9,117 shortfall by transferring that amount from the town office reserve fund. Ripley seconded the motion.

Even as the entire board conceded they were unhappy with the proposal, the motion passed unanimously.

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