By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – A 15-year accounting veteran will fulfill a childhood dream next month when he becomes the city’s new financial director.

The City Council voted Monday to hire Ronald N. Farris to fill the spot left vacant in February 2004 when Jill Eastman abruptly resigned.

Farris, who lives in Lewiston, will begin his new job on April 11. He has worked as accounting and finance director for the Finance Authority of Maine for the past five years, and is eager to get started in municipal finance, he said.

“My parents used to go to the town meetings and I thought it was fascinating,” Farris said. He was especially interested in the annual reports his parents brought back.

“I would actually spend time reading them,” he said. “I grew up in Clinton, so there may not have been much else to do.”

Much of his professional work has been in private accounting.

FAME provides loans and financial assistance to local businesses and college students. Farris said he never worked personally with the city on any FAME-financed projects.

Eastman resigned in February after 16 years with the city. Community Relations Manager Laurie Smith has been filling in the for past year, helping to draw the the city’s 2004-05 budget.