ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen last week appointed an interim treasurer/collector for the next year as the town determines whether to keep the post elected. 

 

Treasurer Kelly Rice tendered her retirement effective May 4, the day before the annual town election. The board voted to appoint her assistant, Christine Satko, to fill the post starting May 5. 

 

The board had a few options, outlined by Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo at Thursday's special meeting: place the post on the town election ballot for this year, appoint a temporary treasurer (the assistant treasurer), or go through the process of changing the elected position to an appointed one via town meeting and ballot votes. 

 

Selectwoman Christine Hoyt said it was no secret that she has been an advocate for changing the elected post to an appointed one. 

 

Rice's retirement offered a good time to make that move, she said, pointing out that the state Department of Revenue back in 2017 had recommended the change, as well as for the town assessor.

 

"We have the general government review study ... put forward a recommendation in August of 2023 to make that position of treasurer/tax collector to be appointed," she said. "And then you have an article from the [Division of Local Services] regarding this change that has taken place in the state of moving from an elected treasurer/collector position to appointed."

 

She noted that there were 84 treasurer/collectors across the state still being elected as of 2014; that number is now 36. These changes were more recently made in Clarksburg and Savoy; the Adams Fire District is trying to again to move to an appointed treasurer, but Hancock rejected the idea. 

 

"There has been a significant change in the last 10 to 12 years to move to this position being appointed," Hoyt said. "There's a lot of data that shows that, and I would be advocating that with this change in personnel, that this is the time that the town of Adams looked at going down the path of moving from an elected treasurer/collector to an appointed treasurer/collector."

 

Selectman Jay Meczywor said it should be left up to the voters to decide.   

 

"I think the people have a right to their say. They had their say when they voted us into this position, and they should continue to have that ability to make their own decision," he said. 

 

Selectman Joseph Nowak agreed with their sentiments of putting it to the voters, but added that the town "hadn't gone bad yet on choosing a town treasurer since I've been here." 

 

His concern was "manipulation" of votes by town meeting members on an agenda, "I'd like to see a vote of the people."

 

Selectwoman Ann Bartlett, however, thought the position should be on the May ballot to fill out the final two years of Rice's term. 

 

"My own opinion is I have never wanted it to be an appointed position," she said, speaking remotely. "I think we have been very blessed with the town treasurers we have had over the years, and I've been in this town for 50 years. I think we should leave what's been working alone, because sometimes the appointed people don't work out."

 

Chair John Duval, who's been on the board longest of his colleagues, said, "there have been some issues in the past, and many can remember back to one individual who would rather be playing golf than being in the office."

 

All members agreed that Rice had been a hard-working treasurer with a very high collections rate of 98 to 99 percent. 

 

She has been the treasurer since winning in 2014 to complete the final two years of a term. She was working in the Community Development Office at the time, and had been an administrative assistant in various capacities for the town for 14 years. Before that, Rice had run the cafeteria at Hoosac Valley High School for 15 years.  

 

After the meeting, she said a couple of her family members had been ill and she decided to retire to be able to spend more time with them.

 

Satko, who also attended the meeting, expressed her willingness to take on the position. 

 

"I've been training with Kelly for almost six years. I'm comfortable with it. I do like it," she said, adding that she is eligible to take the treasurer's test this year.

 

The board voted 4-0 to appoint her for one year starting May 5, with Bartlett abstaining because she would have preferred two years. 

 

Officials said they would investigate the process for switching to appointed, including finding out if they can put it on the ballot for the November state election.