Diane Sumrall has started her new job as Erving’s principal assessor, despite Gill’s efforts to retain her by changing her title from assistant to the assessors to principal assessor.
Sumrall is filling Erving’s principal assessor job following the retirement of Jacquelyn Boyden. The Gill Board of Assessors accepted her resignation, dated Sept. 9, on Sept. 24. Sumrall’s last day in Gill was Sept. 25 and her Erving job began on Monday, Sept. 29.
Recounting her reason for leaving Gill, Sumrall said she was hired as the assistant to the assessor, but with the education and training of a principal assessor. Although the Board of Assessors and Selectboard agreed to a title change from assistant to the assessors to principal assessor, a salary increase did not come to fruition before she applied for and accepted the position in neighboring Erving.
“I really appreciate what Gill did,” Sumrall said on Thursday. “I love Gill, I’ve loved working here, but I had already accepted the job.”
Sumrall said she has offered to provide Gill with assistance in training the new principal assessor when one is hired. Her offer included 10 hours per week to assist the new hire when she is available. Board of Assessors member Pam Lester said on Monday afternoon that the Selectboard needs to vote on allowing Sumrall to offer her time to the town.
Before Sumrall’s departure, the Board of Assessors and Selectboard had been debating a possible pay increase to retain Sumrall.
The issue was brought up during the June 9 Town Meeting, with a motion to set the principal assessor’s job at a salary of $32.16 per hour by increasing the assessor’s clerical salary line item by $3,325, on top of the original $6,848 increase that was proposed for that line item in the fiscal year 2026 budget. The motion ultimately failed by a majority vote and the original line item was approved, along with the rest of the $5.17 million budget.
Gill voters ultimately approved a $48,513 salary for Sumrall, which amounts to $30.80 per hour. She was ranked as Grade 5, Step F on the town’s wage scale. However, to match the minimum $35.16 per hour wage offered by Erving, Gill would need to add another $6,864 to its budget, along with an additional $12,697 for health insurance.
On Aug. 18, the Board of Assessors and Selectboard discussed the issue again after Sumrall notified the town of her job offer in Erving, and they voted to change her job title from assistant to the assessor to principal assessor, but with no job description or salary changes until the Personnel Committee could meet to discuss the matter.
In a change from having the assistant to the assessor position be considered a Grade 5, which carries a starting pay of $25.33, the Personnel Committee voted on Sept. 15 to recommend that the principal assessor role be set at Grade 6, which has a starting pay of $30.46 per hour. The Selectboard then approved the pay scale.
The principal assessor position also comes with a pathway option to open the candidate pool to a qualified candidate who still needs the U.S. Department of Revenue training before becoming a qualified principal assessor. The town would pay for the training, then increase the person on the Grade 6 scale from a Grade 5.
“The idea [is] somebody can work their way up,” said Selectboard Clerk John Ward, who sits on the Personnel Committee as the Selectboard representative.
Board of Assessors member resigns
Board of Assessors member Tim Storrow also announced his resignation. Storrow advocated for Sumrall’s retention, having presented an amendment to the omnibus budget for the FY26 budget during the June 9 Annual Town Meeting.
After having served on the board for six years, Storrow’s letter indicated his desire to step down. The Selectboard accepted his resignation with regret.
Storrow said on Monday that he felt he had accomplished what he needed to in serving on the Board of Assessors since 2019, and had been planning to retire from the board.
“We just want to thank him for all the service,” Selectboard member Greg Snedeker said of Storrow. “He put in a lot of years.”