YORK COUNTY — A former Biddeford city councilor is looking to be York County’s next elected treasurer.

Democrat Bob Mills said he wants to continue in public service. He said he will seek his party’s nomination in the June 12 primary for the four-year term.

Mills, 52, served as a Biddeford councilor for five terms, resigning in May after moving out of his ward. As well, he said, at the same time as the move he was eyeing a position in the Biddeford School Department — and pointed out that he could not be an elected councilor voting on budgets for a department in which he was an employee.

Mills, originally of Texas, joined the School Department in his adopted city in 2017, where he works as an ed tech and behavioral health professional. As well, he works weekends as a direct support professional for people with developmental disabilities. Married, his family includes three children.

Mills said his major at Texas Wesleyan University was political science and that his minor was in finance. He said he has resumed taking courses to complete a master’s degree in management and leadership online at Liberty University that he began pursuing a few years ago.

Mills pointed to his 10 years as a city councilor, dealing with the city and school’s $60 million budgetary process and said he’s previously prepared taxes and budgets for restaurants. 

“I wouldn’t micromanage,” he said — the county employs a full-time finance director.

The elected treasurer’s position has been held by Frank Wood of Saco for 10 years, but two weeks ago Wood said he won’t be seeking another term. A principal in the antiquarian book store DeWolfe & Wood, a former state legislator, former county commissioner and a former chief financial officer for the Maine Attorney General’s Office, Wood said he travels a good deal with his book business.

While York County employs a full time finance director, and there is an appointed deputy treasurer and other staff, there are certain documents that can only be signed by the treasurer, an office outlined in Maine statutes. The treasurer must be bonded, reviews payment of bills and payroll (called warrants) and authorizes investments, among other tasks.

A veteran, Mills has been a member of the AMVETS Post 1 for several years, and is a current member of the Tri-City Transit Committee, and of an array of Biddeford municipal committees, including the  Wastewater Management Commission, Board of Assessment Review, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Cable TV Committee.

Mills has thrown his hat into the political ring on a number of previous occasions. He began this election season thinking he would run for for the York County Register of Deeds position but withdrew, he said, when he realized it was a full time commitment and placed his support behind Democratic candidate Rachel Sherman. Then, he considered a run for Maine House District 12, because he believes there is a need for a legislator involved in the education system, but said he likes Martin Grohman, who recently became an Independent, and decided the time commitment if he were elected to the State House would be too much.

“After months of wrangling with how and what I can offer in terms of community service for our city and county, I have filed for the open York County treasurer position,” Mills said.

As of Friday morning, no Republican candidate had announced plans to run.

Mills said he is aware the stipend for the treasurer’s position, currently around $7,000, is set to be reduced to $500 annually for a new incoming treasurer, though county commissioners have reserved the right to adjust the figure. The treasurer’s position is among the agenda items for the Nov. 21 York County Commissioner’s meeting, but it is unclear whether the discussion will be about salary or some other aspect of the position.

“It’s not about the pay but being able to serve the public,” Mills said. “The pay is not an issue.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.