- A small Maine town shut down after its clerk resigned, the Bangor Daily News reported.
- Christen Bouchard quit after her vacation request was denied, per the outlet.
- Now the town is reportedly struggling to fill multiple vacancies.
A tiny town in Maine effectively shut down after its clerk resigned from her job after her vacation request was rejected, a local outlet reported this week.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Christen Bouchard has served as the clerk since 2020 for the town of Passadumkeag — which is located in Penobscot County and has a population of about 356 people. Bouchard said that she made a $13,500 annual salary and worked at least 16 hours a week, per the outlet.
"I came in on my days off to complete certain tasks because 16 hours a week is just not enough to do everything that needed to be done over there," she told the Bangor Daily News.
In addition to working as a clerk, the newspaper reported that her other duties included handling records, licensing pets, registering vehicles for residents, and working as the town liaison with the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Bouchard quit on April 7 after a board of selectmen failed to approve her two-week vacation request due to not having someone to work for her. This resulted in the small town shutting down, according to the Bangor Daily News.
Her position is not the only one in the town, which closed in late April, that is not filled. The outlet reported that Passadumkegg is missing an animal control officer, a code enforcement officer, and an accessor. Officials are actively looking for people to take on those roles.
"The market right now for qualified employees that are looking to work part time is very difficult," Treasurer Barbara Boyer told the Bangor Daily News. "We're doing what we can to keep everything going."