Bobby Mills
YORK COUNTY — A countywide referendum to abolish the elected York County treasurer’s position and replace it with a treasurer appointed by York County Commissioners was soundly defeated during last week’s general election.
Voters in all 29 municipalities in York County rejected the referendum by a margin of 63,100 no votes to 27,136 in favor of the idea.
Bobby Mills of Biddeford, a Democrat, was elected to a four-year term as the York County treasurer in the same election, defeating Bradford Littlefield of Sanford with 49,831 to 42,626 votes. The outgoing county treasurer, Frank Wood, did not run for re-election.
York County commissioners had said that with the creation of a finance director position about a decade ago, the elected treasurer’s position was no longer required. If the referendum had passed, the treasurer position would have been appointed by county commissioners rather than elected by county voters.
According to the Maine County Commissioners Association, Maine’s 16 counties have a mixture of elected and appointed treasurers.
In July, York County Commissioners Sallie Chandler, Michael Cote and Cynthia Chadwick-Granger decided to put the question to the voters, while Commissioner Richard Dutremble opposed it. Commissioner Richard Clark was absent for that vote. York County Manager Greg Zinser had previously described the position as ceremonial.
During the campaign leading to the election, Mills said he believes the treasurer’s position is valuable to York County.
“The elected position of treasurer provides the checks and balances needed in county government,” said Mills.
He mentioned that he recalled a time about a decade ago when the county was having financial difficulties.
“Without the oversight of a elected treasurer, this may happen again,” Mills said.
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