The Woolwich select board is losing a tax collector but gaining a town administrator after promoting Kim Dalton.

Chairman David King Sr. told the Wiscasset Newspaper, the board’s decision to hire Dalton was unanimous. “We’re hoping Kim will enjoy the position and stay on with us for a long time to come,” he said.

Dalton’s starting salary was $41,000 with a six-month probationary period, continued King. “If she gets up to speed fairly quickly we could choose to shorten her probationary period.”

Along with assisting in the daily operation of the town office, the town administrator serves as treasurer and administers general assistance.

Dalton began her new duties Thursday morning, Jan. 24 by moving across the room to her new office. She was hired as tax collector 10 months ago, replacing Katie Johnston after the board promoted Johnston to town administrator. In December, Johnston gave her notice accepting an offer to become assistant director of finance at Portland International Jetport.

“Over the past year, I’d cross-trained with Katie,” said Dalton, who also filled in as secretary at the select board meetings. In the months ahead, she’ll be receiving managerial training from Maine Municipal Association. She’ll also continue on as tax collector until that job is filled.

Before coming to Woolwich, Dalton served as deputy tax collector for Monmouth, where she lives. Earlier in her career, she worked as tax collector for the city of Gardiner.

“I’m really looking forward to my new responsibilities, working with the town’s department heads and the select board in developing the 2019-2020 budget,” she continued.

Dalton’s also excited about attending Woolwich’s annual town meeting on Saturday, May 4 when voters will gather to consider the budget. Monmouth has a referendum election at the polls in June, she said.

“We made a great decision in hiring Kim,” Selectman Dale Chadbourne said. “There’s going to be a learning curve but we expected that would be the case for anybody we hired.”

Chadbourne said the town office received 22 applications, many from out of state. “We had one come from Tennessee, another from Colorado and one from California.”

“Kim’s been working here almost a year, she already knows many people in town and knows the workings of the town office,” added Selectman Allison Hepler. “It was a good match.”