Oakham Hires Outside Firm to Run Treasurer-Collector Office on Temporary Basis

OAKHAM — July 2, 2025 — Oakham hires outside firm at $175 per hour to cover empty Treasurer-Collector's Office. The Select Board voted unanimously at a July 2 special meeting to engage Sarah Hunter of Mass Muni Fin for outsourced treasurer-collector services on a month-to-month contract with a 14-day termination clause. Hunter, based in Hardwick, will work between four and 16 hours per week and will be added as a signatory to the town's Unibank accounts and granted access to the VADAR property-tax software — steps needed before she can assume full treasurer duties. At 16 hours per week, the cost reaches approximately $11,200 per month, an expense board members acknowledged may require a supplemental appropriation at a fall special town meeting. The position has drawn no applicants since being advertised on the MMA job board, and the board expressed hope the engagement could be resolved within 60 days. The board also noted that final fiscal year 2026 state local aid came in at $421,187 — roughly $3,000 below the $424,000 figure used in the town meeting budget.