Wiscasset assessors' agent Sue Varney on October 10 dove back into the job she's held 35 and a half years, the one she was laid off from weeks earlier.

She had a lot of work to catch up on, most notably the town's tax commitment.

It feels good to be back, Varney said in an October 15 interview in her office at the municipal building.

She said it also felt good seeing the October 8 special town meeting unfold, as voters funded the assessing budget that includes her job. Residents had twice rejected the budget, in votes at the polls in June and September.

“It was nice to see the support, to see the town come alive again, because that's kind of what it felt like. It was vibrant,” she said.

During the layoff, Varney, 59, stayed busy with personal things she had to catch up on. She also heard from some residents who thought she was making more than she does, which is why they said they voted against the budget, Varney said.

A Wiscasset resident since the age of 10, Varney started out her service to the town as a secretary in the selectmen's office. She later paid her own way through adult education classes in assessing at Morse High School in Bath, then got her assessor's certificate.

Once she had that, she could have looked for a job with another town, but she wanted to keep working for Wiscasset, she said.