Residents press council on assessor staffing; certified assessor appointed until permanent solution

Several Lincoln residents used the public comment period to press the town council for clarity about assessing, arguing the town needs a full‑time assessor rather than adding more duties to current staff.

Kelly Bridal told the council she worried about putting the assessing workload on Ruth (Ruth Rhodes was referenced in public comments) and urged hiring one or two full‑time assessors so the town can update out‑of‑date tax maps and properly assess new houses. “I almost think we will probably need at least 2 full time tax assessors,” Bridal said.

Vicky Clay read a November letter written by Scott Burts on behalf of his wife, saying the workload on one employee had become "dangerous" and requested immediate relief; Clay said she opposed placing Ruth in a temporary assessing role.

At the agenda item on appointment, Speaker Bruce Burns (who said he holds a certified Maine assessor license) told the council that Department of Revenue auditors said a primary assessing district must have an appointed certified main assessor. “If you do not, everything that has been done is null and void, being the supplementals, being the abatements, being the 30 day notices,” Burns said, arguing the town needed an appointment to validate prior work.

Councilors debated whether to label the appointment 'temporary' and whether compensation was appropriate; an amendment to remove the word "temporary" on the appointment motion passed (amendment vote recorded as 4–2) and the governing motion to appoint Burns passed by voice vote reported as 5–1.

Councilors said the appointment is an interim administrative action while the council finalizes budget funding and searches for a permanent assessing solution; one councilor noted an assessing firm would be engaged once the budget passes. Burns said he would serve until the budget permits a permanent solution.