Kennebec Journal quotes Brewer in article on town administrative challenges
The Kennebec Journal quoted Mark Brewer, a professor of political science at the University of Maine, in an article highlighting Dresden’s town office as an example of more time and training being needed for those in administrative positions. This suggestion comes after issues raised at a Dresden Selectboard meeting, when members noted that residents had been complaining about services provided and workers had said they needed more training and time to learn the job. The article also raised the question of whether it would be better to elect administrative workers or hire them. Brewer said a possible solution could be merging local governments to reduce total cost and increase efficiency. “The academic literature, with the idea of consolidation, sounds great in theory. That’s certainly less viable in some areas of Maine because of the distances between towns,” said Brewer. And he thinks the largest obstacle to having a full-time town clerk, either elected or hired, would be convincing taxpayers the convenience is worth the cost. “People will ask if that’s an appropriate use of our resources,” Brewer said. “It’s a matter of individual viewpoint. That’s the point of debate and dialogue.”