Amid what an accountant called “chronic” financial problems in the department, the Buxton recreation director has resigned.

Chris Barstow handed selectmen his resignation May 21, effective immediately, after meeting with the board in executive session. He is Buxton’s second department head to quit without notice within a week.

Barstow’s resignation follows the Buxton accountant’s report that Recreation Department accounts showed deficits and overspending. Barstow said the problems, discovered in April, stemmed from uncollected debt from parents who failed to pay for recreation programs.

Monday, he admitted he did not focus on collecting those unpaid program fees.

“I take full responsibility,” Barstow said.

Barstow represents House District 129 in the Maine Legislature. A Democrat, he chairs the state and local government committee. Barstow, unopposed for his party’s nomination in the June primary, is seeking re-election to his fourth term. He will likely face Jane Knapp, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary.

“I would hope this won’t be used in the campaign against me,” Barstow said.

Barstow said he informed selectmen May 19 that he planned to resign.

Then at the request of selectmen, he met with them in executive session May 21. He handed selectmen his resignation, which they formally accepted during the regular, public weekly meeting.

“We felt it would be mutually agreeable to sever our relationship,” Jean Harmon, who chairs the board, said this week.

“Over the last several months, I do not feel that I have been the effective administrator that the department has needed as we have dealt with the financial challenges that have existed,” Barstow wrote in his resignation letter.

“As an individual, I have had too many moments recently where poor decisions have been made that have affected me emotionally and did not meet the standards that I hold for myself.”

His resignation came a week before a town accountant report scheduled for Wednesday after the American Journal’s deadline. Jean Harmon, who chairs the board of selectmen, said the town’s accountant, Ron Smith of RHR Smith & Co., would give a statement on May 28 with findings about the Recreation Department.

In a letter Feb. 15 to the town, Smith wrote:

“Certain recreation activity programs were overspent at year’s end. This has been a chronic problem with the town’s recreation programs. The town, prior to this year and including this year had and used money from other recreation programs to cover the deficits. The town needs to monitor its recreation programs individually for adequacy.”

Barstow said he is well versed in administering recreation programs but found the finances challenging.

“My biggest challenge was the financial piece,” Barstow said. “I gave it the best effort I could as an administrator.”

Barstow said this spring that the department was owed $30,000 in program fees that had accrued over three years. Those debts led to deficits in some recreation accounts and overspending in others. He said some of the accounts receivables have been collected, but he declined to give a figure. He said he was not “at liberty” to talk about department finances after resigning.

Selectman Bob Libby, who wasn’t at the selectmen’s meeting when Barstow resigned, said Barstow extended credit to people who didn’t pay.

“He allowed more credit than he should have,” Libby said.

Libby said Barstow believed the people who owed money would pay. Libby didn’t believe Barstow was pressured to resign.

“I’m sorry to see him go,” Libby said.

Barstow’s salary was $32,000. The overall proposed Recreation Department budget to be decided at this year’s town meeting is $47,000 with $33,973 earmarked for the director’s salary.

Barstow, 33, and his wife are the parents of three children. He was hired in May 2004 to what was a part-time recreation director’s job. The position eventually became full time.

Selectmen are now searching for successors for both Barstow and a fire chief. On May 14, Fire Chief Larry Straffin resigned after less than six months on the job.

Andy Townsend is acting as the interim fire chief, and Harmon is temporarily handling the Recreation Department duties. Harmon and Bob Libby are seeking re-election to the selectmen’s board in Buxton’s municipal election on Tuesday, June 10, but Keith Emery is a challenger for one of the two seats.

Chris Barstow stepping down as Buxton recreation director