ORLAND – Selectmen are proposing to change the position of town treasurer from an elected position to an appointed one.

The proposal, which will be discussed at a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at the town office, comes in response to the decision by the current treasurer, Dorothy Baker, not to seek re-election at the annual town meeting next spring.

“She’s done an excellent job for us and it’s going to be hard to lose her,” Selectman Wayne Ames said recently.

But that decision caused the selectmen to take a closer look at the position, which has become more and more complicated over the years. The list of duties and responsibilities of the treasurer now covers two typed pages and needs to be updated.

“We aren’t sure that someone from the general public could just walk into that job,” Ames said. “They would have a difficult time putting together everything we need. And that would be a disservice to our taxpayers.”

Selectmen also have scheduled a special town meeting to vote on the proposed change. That meeting will be held Dec. 27 at the town office.

Changing the position to an appointed post will allow selectmen to seek qualified candidates for the job. Making that change now, Ames said, will give selectmen time to begin the search for Baker’s replacement in order to have someone ready to take over when her term expires in March.

Rich Hewitt may be contacted at rhewitt@bangordailynews.net or 667-9394.