LIVERMORE — Aaron Miller, of Alna, was hired Monday, Aug. 17, as the new administrative assistant to the board of selectpersons.

On his first day of work, Aug. 24, Miller said that he needs to familiarize himself with the community first, get a strong understanding of some of the challenges that Livermore is faced with.

“Once I’ve settled in and established what those challenges are, then I can determine what my goals would be,” Miller said. “I’m looking forward to meeting the community, hearing their concerns and working through any challenges they see in their community.”

For now, Miller will commute from Alna.

“It’s an hour drive. In the state of Maine, an hour seems fairly common. Who knows? Time will tell,” he said.

Miller started his municipal career in Boothby Harbor where he was deputy town clerk for 3 years. He then moved on to Whitefield.

“I was there six years as administrative assistant, town clerk, treasurer, tax collector, and register of voters. I also served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical responder,” he said.

In Alna, Miller said he was treasurer as an elected position for a year.

Miller plans to be in the Livermore town office when it is open. Weeks when there are night meetings will probably be pro-rated the rest of the week, he said.

IT is in the office on Wednesdays, when the office is closed, Miller said adding he would be happy to be there as needed on Wednesday.

Confusion

The decision to hire Miller was not clear cut.

No decision was made after an executive session on July 20 to discuss candidates.

A special meeting to hold another executive session on the matter was called for July 27. Miller was hired that night to begin work Aug. 17. The meeting was not publicized.

There was miscommunication on posting that meeting, Selectperson Chairman Mark Chretien said Aug. 17.

The Aug. 3 board meeting was canceled as two selectpersons were out of town.

Selectperson Tracey Martin, who was elected July 14, completed the Maine Municipal Association training for selectpersons the weekend of Aug. 8 and 9.

She learned the July 27 meeting was not legal and filed a Freedom of Access complaint.

“I emailed the complaint to Amy (Byron, interim administrative assistant) on August 10,” she said in a phone interview Aug. 23.

Aug. 18, Chretien said, in a phone call, that Miller had been hired, had worked in Whitefield, had about six years experience and would be paid $45,000 annually. Amy Byron, the former assistant, was paid almost $39,000 for the position, he added.

Later that evening during a separate phone call Byron, who is also the treasurer and agreed to stay on as interim administrative assistant after taking a job in Livermore Falls, said she was paid $700.60 per week ($36,431 annually) for that position.

Concern

In another phone call Aug. 18, Martin said the vote for Miller was 3-1. Selectpersons Chretien, Scott Richmond and Brett Deyling approved the hire while she was opposed, she said.

“There were some issues with Miller. He had been let go from Whitefield,” she said.

According to an article in the March 25, 2014, Boothbay Register, Miller became Whitefield’s town clerk, treasurer, registrar of voters, assistant tax collector and the selectmen’s administrative assistant in October 2012. The former newspaper reporter was sworn in as Alna’s treasurer on March 22, 2013.

The April 30, 2015, edition of the Bangor Daily News reported Miller stepped down as Alna’s treasurer on April 22 after fielding questions from the board about IRS payment errors that led to accrued penalties and interest. The article noted Miller was unfamiliar with  the QuickBooks accounting system and unaware that IRS payments were due monthly instead of quarterly.

According to a May 27, 2015, BDN article, missed IRS tax payments, unfiled financial reports and unreconciled bank statements were just a few of the problems discovered after Miller’s resignation.

The Whitefield minutes for June 26, 2018, stated Miller’s employment was unanimously terminated effective June 27, 2018. He was paid two weeks plus four weeks severance pay and any unused benefit time.

“It was kind of a mutual thing at the time. It was not a good fit for either him or the town and we terminated him,” Whitefield selectboard chairman Lester Sheaffer said during a phone interview Aug. 23.

“I’d agree with Lester. We were both in agreement it was time for some changes,” Miller said Monday.

“It’s difficult being in municipal government when you have your bosses change. People don’t have the same goals in mind. That’s one of the challenges of working in municipal government where your bosses are elected and they change,” he added.

Most recently Miller has worked at the state’s Department of Marine Resources in Boothbay Harbor.

“I figured after working in municipal government I’d try my hand at state government. I decided I really enjoy working with small communities. I get more fulfillment out of that,” he said.