By Alan Keays, VTDigger
City Treasurer Wendy Wilton has been appointed by the Trump administration to a federal post.
Wilton, who has served as the city’s elected treasurer for more than 10 years, has been named the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency state director for Vermont.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, in a news release late Friday, announced the listing of state directors for offices around the country, all serving as appointees of President Donald Trump.
Wilton is a Republican who served as one of three Rutland County state senators from 2005 through 2006. She lost her re-election bid and then won the city treasurer post in 2007, which she has retained every two years since.
Wilton did make a bid for the state treasurer’s office in 2012, losing in the general election to incumbent Beth Pearce, a Democrat.
State FSA directors, according to the news release, are charged with implementing Department of Agriculture policies and with planning, organizing and administering FSA programs. The directors are also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the state FSA offices.
Rutland Mayor David Allaire will need to appoint someone to fill the city treasurer’s position.
Wilton on Sunday said she notified Allaire on Saturday of her appointment to the FSA position.
“We’ll prepare a transition plan, and I told him I’ll be as generous as I can with the city with the transition and make sure I give the transition my full attention,” she said.
Wilton said that since taking office in 2007 she has worked to get the city’s financial house in order and recover from a $5 million deficit that was in place when she was first elected.
“I’m very excited and honored to have this opportunity to serve my state in a different role,” she said of her appointment, referring further questions about the post to the USDA’s press office.
Wilton did say she was a strong Trump supporter in the presidential campaign. “I’ve been pretty public about that,” she added.
