Selectmen Thursday honored longtime Topsham Town Clerk Ruth Lyons for her more than two decades of service to the town before appointing a current employee to fill the role starting July 1.
Lyons served as assistant town clerk from 1990-91, deputy town clerk from 1991- 92 and town clerk from 1992 to 2014.
“Congratulations on your retirement,” Selectman chair Donald Russell said, reading the words on a plaque the board presented to Lyons, who retires at the end of the month.
The selectmen later unanimously appointed Linda Dumont as town clerk and registrar of voters. She will also continue to serve as the General Assistance director. Dumont started in that parttime role in 1994 and has worked two days a week as assistant town clerk and assistant tax collector for the last three years.
Dumont is originally from Brunswick, but graduated from Mt. Ararat High School 38 years ago and has lived in Topsham for many years now. She is married to a local building contractor and has a daughter currently attending Mt. Ararat High School.
Dumont said she knows she had a great deal of learning to do but says there is a good team working in the clerk’s office. It was that team who, after Lyons announced her retirement, presented a reorganization of the clerk’s office to the town manager which split Lyons’ roles among Dumont and Ed Bobalek. Bobalek was unanimously appointed Thursday as the Director of Tax Office as well as the town’s motor vehicle agent and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife agent. He will be responsible for taking all money in for the town.
Bobalek also lives in Topsham, has two daughters and has worked in the clerk’s office for 10 years.
Dumont said she is honored to have the opportunity to serve as Topsham’s town clerk, and the board’s confidence in her to do the job. She knows a lot of people in town and likes interacting with people, so she knew this would be a good match for her.
“People will still have all their needs met,” Dumont said with confidence.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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