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Sagadahoc commissioners approve expanded Probate clerk hours and revised job description
Summary
The board authorized increasing a part-time Probate Clerk to 30 hours a week (with benefits) by reallocating existing funds and approved a revised job description; proponents said the change will support cross-training and office continuity while saving roughly $7,000 annually.
Bath, Maine — Sagadahoc County commissioners on Nov. 13 authorized changes to Probate Court staffing that county officials said will bolster office continuity while staying within current funds.
Probate Register Donald Lawson-Stopps told the board the office needs a second 30-hour clerk so that two staff members can be cross-trained to cover extended absences; he said reallocating existing funds would permit the change without adding a new full-time salary. Probate Judge David Paris added that the court has improved operations using the Superior Courtroom for hybrid hearings and said insurance would be an incentive to attract candidates.
Lawson-Stopps said reallocating resources already available would allow the department to add a 30-hour position, and Judge Paris said the change would still save about $7,000 a year. Finance Director Jill Flaherty told the board that typical health-insurance cost for one employee is “about $11,000.” Deputy Probate Register Hannah Dickinson described a proposed schedule designed to enable weekly one-on-one cross-training: one clerk Monday–Thursday, the other Tuesday–Friday.
Commissioner Todd McPhee moved to authorize the Probate staffing plan; Commissioner Charles Crosby seconded, and the motion carried. The board also approved a revised job description that formalizes the open clerk position at 30 hours per week and aligns duties between the two clerk positions.
Commissioners discussed whether the Budget Advisory Committee should be informed even though Lawson-Stopps said funds exist in the current budget, and some members said the BAC ought to be consulted before changes are finalized. The board approved the staffing plan and the revised job description during the meeting.
