HARTLAND, Maine — Selectmen hired Larry Post, the former town manager of St. Albans, to help them find their way out of a financial nightmare.
Hired Tuesday night, Post will be paid $975 per week and will be the designated acting town manager. He has an open-ended arrangement with the town, he said. “I’m simply here to help,” he said, already on the job Wednesday morning.
Post said the idea came from a mutual discussion at a corner store. “The expectations are to identify exactly what the issues are and get started on some solutions,” he said. “We need to stop the bleeding and get Hartland back on track.”
Post resigned from St. Albans earlier this year.
At the Tuesday night meeting, First Selectman Harry Gould told residents that the board had been duped about the town’s financial situation. “We were told the money was there,” he said, referring to two escrow accounts, one for a new community pool and one for a firetruck.
The town is $400,000 behind in its school payments, defaulted on a tax anticipation note and owes the local water company tens of thousands of dollars. The total town debt is $1.6 million.
When selectmen attempted to obtain two loans to pay off the school debt, they were turned down. “We have no credit,” Gould said.
At this point, he said, the short-term goal is to make the December school payment. “January is going to be rough,” he admitted. He said a supplemental tax bill may be sent out.
Gould explained that the problem began in 2005 when not enough money was raised through taxes to cover all the items voters appropriated at town meeting.
He said that last year, $696,000 should have been raised through taxes but only $260,000 was. He said that the board looked into bankruptcy but it is not allowed under Maine law.
The town has been selling wood from town-owned lots, moved the town office from the former Hartland Academy to the old town hall, and laid off several employees in cost cutting efforts.
The board set a special town meeting for 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, to vote on selling the academy building and a parcel where the old pool was located.
Town residents also have formed an SOS Fund and will be holding an auction in January, are raffling off a new car, and will be hosting benefit suppers and 50/50 raffles, all to help the town pay its bills.
Meanwhile, Peggy Morgan, who had been the Hartland town manager for decades, remains out of the office. Last month she attempted to return from a medical leave and was fired by the board. That meeting, Gould admitted, was illegal and the action was rescinded, but Morgan has not returned to her post. Her status as a town employee is unclear although town selectmen have not openly blamed Morgan for any of the financial chaos.
On 11/20/08 at 6:34 AM,
Inland wrote:
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If people refuse to listen to reason and refuse tax increases there's still no hope, but at least Larry will give it his best shot.
On 11/20/08 at 4:12 PM,
nonyabusiness wrote:
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Great! Just what Hartland needs - - Larry Post! I'm being sacrastic here in case you couldn't tell. Didn't he have enough problems in St. Albans, and isn't he still being sued, and yet the great and wise (again, sarcasm) selectmen of Hartland hired Larry at the cost of $975 a week (a bit much, don't you think) to help bail out the town. And, according to Larry, "I'm just here to help out." If he is so helpful, why is it costing $975 a week? I don't know too many people in this town who make THAT much money, and yet they get by. I'm not saying he should do it for free, but $975 is a bit excessive! I don't trust him one bit!
On 11/20/08 at 7:50 PM,
Cookie wrote:
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He can't be too bad at least when he resigned the town had money in the bank and all their bills were paid, you never saw St. Albans in the news for unpaid bills like Hartland. Maybe he will do something about the people who refuse to pay there taxes year after year. If everybody would pay there taxes every year the town would have more money to work with. I'm sure the people who are always after free hand outs won't like him, but that's to bad. We have
to start running this town the way a town should be run and let the selectman do their job they were hired to do, so they will have a better idea of what's
going on. I think they will do alright if they are given a half a chance. Good luck to the selectman and good luck to Larry.
On 11/21/08 at 10:46 PM,
I_work_thank_me wrote:
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let the selectmen do their job...ha ha..they haven't been able to do it so far, and now Hartland is in a bad situation, they really look like total fools...i hope hartland has good liability insurance didn't mr. post sue St. Albans..mmmmm. I do pay my taxes, and on time, my name has never been in the town report. I agree cookie we should let the selectmen run the town like they should, however they are not educated enough to do that and do not have the time that is needed to be a selectmen. If someone isn't able to devote the time, they shouldnt collect their pay!!! bottom line!!!!! March 2009, isn't coming soon enough!!!!!!! and your right, it is a "town", it sure doesn't feel like a "community
On 11/21/08 at 10:46 PM,
I_work_thank_me wrote:
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let the selectmen do their job...ha ha..they haven't been able to do it so far, and now Hartland is in a bad situation, they really look like total fools...i hope hartland has good liability insurance didn't mr. post sue St. Albans..mmmmm. I do pay my taxes, and on time, my name has never been in the town report. I agree cookie we should let the selectmen run the town like they should, however they are not educated enough to do that and do not have the time that is needed to be a selectmen. If someone isn't able to devote the time, they shouldnt collect their pay!!! bottom line!!!!! March 2009, isn't coming soon enough!!!!!!! and your right, it is a "town", it sure doesn't feel like a "community
On 11/22/08 at 7:14 AM,
homer2 wrote:
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The makings of a good Stephen King novel
On 11/26/08 at 11:51 AM,
maine04401 wrote:
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I agree with "nonyabusiness" way too much to be paid! Specially for a Town with no money. What else is in Mr. Posts agrrement with the Selectmen/Town. Maybe when he leaves he gets a years worth of paid or he gets 4 weeks vacation right now. I bet you there is more than $975 per week he is getting, lets see his agreement with the Town. Post said the idea came from a mutual discussion at a corner store. With who? Are the Selectmen now holding illegal public meetings at the corner store? Mr. Post resigned in St. Albans, I wonder why?.. cause he would not directly answer the questions in detailed by the public, he would just skirt around the issue. I am sure the Selectmen of Hartland checked into the accounting pratices he had in St. Albans? hmmm lets read the audit report, check how money was spent but not approved by the Townspeople at the Annual Town meeting. I hope for the Selectmen sake your meeting minutes are accurate and you make sure all the taxpayers comments are noted, and his answers to them detailed. How hard did the Town Selectmen really look for another Town Manager? Who else did you speak too? Sounds like the good ole boys are in Hartland also.
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