Wallagrass manager resigns amid charges of town funds theft

WALLAGRASS – The Wallagrass town manager, who has been charged with theft in connection with missing municipal money, has resigned her position with the town.

Police have said that more than $100,000 of town money is missing.

The Wallagrass Board of Selectmen accepted Bonnie Lamarre’s resignation following an emergency meeting and executive session Friday night, according to Wallagrass Selectmen Paul Lozier.

Lamarre, 48, was summoned Friday to appear in Superior Court at Caribou March 23 on a Class B felony charge of theft. She was charged by Fort Kent Police Chief Kenneth Michaud, who is also a deputy for the Aroostook County Sheriffs Department.

Michaud said he was looking into the theft of more than $100,000 from the Town of Wallagrass.

Michaud said Friday that the bank accounts – both the town’s accounts and her personal accounts – involved in the case are all in Fort Kent banks. The allegation is that she deprived the town of the money.

Catherine Francke, an Aroostook County assistant district attorney, said the investigation is only in its initial stages. She had not received a written report about the investigation, but had spoken with Michaud about it.

Lamarre had been manager of the small town of 560 people, just south of Fort Kent, since late 1999. Wallagrass was organized as a town in 1986.

Lamarre also served as tax collector, treasurer, clerk, registrar, overseer of the poor, and E-911 addressing officer.

The town has an annual tax commitment of $347,000 and a total budget of approximately $450,000.

In 2003, the town collected $275,580 in property taxes, $110,000 in excise tax collections, had state revenue sharing of $40,000, highway block grants of $13,000, homestead exemption payments from the state of $19,000 and was overseeing a septic system grant of nearly $20,000.

The town’s total valuation is $20.8 million.