Skowhegan Select Board tables transfer of small trust‑fund interest to Women’s Aid Society pending documentation

The Skowhegan Select Board voted 4–1 to table a decision on whether to authorize annual interest payments from three historic trust funds to the Skowhegan Women’s Aid Society, citing the need for clearer documentation and an auditable process.

Gail Pilat, the town clerk and treasurer, told the board the funds stem from donor wills and that the payments have been withdrawn and paid to the Women’s Aid Society for many years. Pilat read language from the John R. McClellan will, saying the donor bequeathed “to the town of Skowhegan the sum of $25,000 to be placed at interest and the income thereof to be paid annually at least to the Women's Aid Society of Skowhegan to be used by the officers of said society for the benefit of the needy poor of said Skowhegan.” She said the McClellan will is dated 1935 and that the combined annual interest for the three named funds totals $1,310.90.

Other board members pressed for a formal process and additional documentation before releasing the funds. One board member asked whether the Women’s Aid Society is a registered 501(c)(3) and whether there is an auditable structure for disbursements; another said the town will soon undergo auditing and that clarifying how these historic trusts are handled would be appropriate.

Pilat and a member of the Women’s Aid Society said the withdrawals have been done in past years and are visible to auditors; Pilat said the town has a vendor number for the society and that local, longtime residents serve on its committee. Still, the board agreed to postpone the transfer until staff can provide clearer records and process recommendations. The motion to table passed 4–1.