Tremont voters OK code job

TREMONT – Voters decided this week at town meeting to have someone else besides the town manager work as the town’s code enforcement officer.

Millard Billings, Tremont town manager, has served for years as the code officer, but voters decided this week he has enough to do without also making sure property owners comply with building and land use rules. At the recommendation of town officials, they voted unanimously Tuesday night to create a full-time code enforcement-assessor position. Until now, Tremont has provided assessing services by having a contracted outside assessor available in town one day a week.

The position won’t be posted until July 1, when the new approved annual town budget goes into effect, Billings said Thursday. The position, without benefits, is expected to pay approximately $45,000 a year.

In other business, Tremont voters:

. Approved a 2008-09 municipal budget of approximately $4.8 million, including nearly $3 million in education costs. With the new budget, the local tax rate is expected to increase from $7.90 per $1,000 of each property’s value to $8.10 per $1,000 of each property’s value, Billings said.

. Re-elected Kathi Thurston to the Board of Selectmen with 77 votes, and elected former Selectman Charlie Dillon with 72 votes. Selectman candidates Bobby Lee, with 50 votes, and Brian Savage, with 42, each fell short in their election bids.

Marilyn Moore was elected to the school board, while Brad Reed and Wayne Patton were elected as write-in candidates to the Seal Cove Water Department.

There were no clear winners among write-in candidates for other available seats with the school board, Seal Cove Water Department or high school board of trustees, Billings said, so town employees are contacting the top write-in vote-getters to see whether they are interested in the positions.

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