WEST GARDINER — Tuesday was Heidi Peckham’s final day as town clerk.

She resigned the elective post to take a position with the Secretary of State’s Office, said Greg Couture, chairman of the West Gardiner Board of Selectmen.

Couture said selectmen intend to appoint a former town clerk, Nancy T. O’Laughlin, as interim town clerk early Wednesday. “This is an opportunity to keep things going the way they should be done,” Couture said.

O’Laughlin was town clerk for more than 30 years before retiring from that job.

Peckham was first elected to a town post — excise collector and administrator — in 2009 when she ran a door-to-door write-in campaign and topped two candidates listed on the ballot. O’Laughlin was retiring from those jobs.

Peckham later was elected town clerk, following in O’Laughlin’s footsteps in that job as well.

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Couture said O’Laughlin will not be a candidate for her former post. “She is happily retired,” he said.

A new town clerk will be elected in March 2014 in conjunction with the annual Town Meeting.

Couture said anyone interested in running for the clerk’s post can take out nominating papers early next year. He said candidates can be from outside the town.

As town clerk and administrator to selectmen, Peckham earned about $40,000 a year, Couture said.

Two other employees in the Town Office are deputies.

Peckham gave her resignation notice to selectmen two weeks ago, Couture said.

Betty Adams — 621-5631badams@centralmaine.comTwitter: @betadams


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