Should York County Government, which employs a finance director and finance team, abolish the elected treasurer’s position? Voters will decide Nov. 3 after York County Commissioners, on May 6, agreed to put the referendum questions to voters countywide.

If voters agree to scrap the elected position, the treasurer would be appointed following the expiration of the office of the current treasurer on Dec. 31.

Proponents of abolishing the elected post have pointed out that the elected treasurer role in York County is purely ceremonial and has been for nearly two decades. York County commissioners hired the county’s first finance director in 2007, after discovering a $1.2 million deficit in the fund balance that year. With hard work, the deficit was cleared and the fund balance was rebuilt to healthy levels.

As well as in-house oversight, York County’s financial records are audited annually by an outside professional firm of certified public accountants. Finance and audit information are available at yorkcountymaine.gov/finance.

In 2015, commissioners noted that the duties of the elected treasurer were being carried out by the finance director and staff, and voted to reduce the salary for the elected part-time treasurer to $500 annually starting with the 2018 election.

The current treasurer is Stacy Kilroy, who was appointed to the post by Gov. Janet Mills following the 2024 resignation of treasurer Bobby Mills, who was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Mills is the sole candidate running for the spot in the Democratic primary on June 9. There is no Republican candidate.

Kilroy expressed frustration on how the elected treasurer’s position is currently configured, and seemed to advocate for keeping the elected position. “I say don’t get rid of oversight when it’s free,” she told commissioners May 6.

Commissioner Richard Clark said there have been opportunities for input and that some prior treasurers have attended budget committee meetings. He pointed out that Maine statutes do not spell out qualifications for the elected treasurer’s position.

“We have people with professional training dealing with the budget,” Clark said, noting the financial team.

The sole qualification for an elected county treasurer outlined in Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A is that the individual be a resident of the county. The same statute addresses the qualifications of an appointed treasurer: “The treasurer must be qualified in matters of business administration and finance,” it reads.

Today, Androscoggin, Cumberland and Knox counties have appointed treasurers. The 13 others are elected, but voters in Washington County, where commissioners recently hired a finance director, will also vote in November to eliminate the elected position and appoint a treasurer.

The commissioners’ May 6 decision to move forward means voters will see a referendum to abolish the elected treasurer position in York County and a ballot listing candidate(s) for the elected treasurer position.

Maine statutes outline how the referendum question is asked: “Shall the position of elected county treasurer be abolished and replaced with a treasurer appointed by the county commissioners?”

The statute goes on to say: “If a majority of those voting on this question vote in the affirmative, the position of elected county treasurer shall be abolished after the term of the current elected county treasurer expires, and the county commissioners shall appoint a treasurer.”

“If both the question and the office are on the ballot in November and the voters vote to abolish the position, whoever is elected treasurer would have no office to serve in,” said Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn, of Maine’s Elections Division. “We view ‘current’ treasurer under the statute to mean the outgoing treasurer serving at the time of the election.”

The referendum was sent to voters in 2018, but was defeated.

Tammy Wells is media specialist for York County Government.