PARIS — Oxford County commissioners are recommending that they appoint the treasurer, while the treasurers from several Maine counties support keeping position elected.

On Tuesday, voters will decide at a countywide referendum whether to change the Oxford County treasurer from an elected position to one appointed by commissioners. The county Budget Committee, consisting of elected municipal officials, chose to make no recommendation on the matter.

The question of changing the treasurer’s status has appeared in other Maine counties as well. Knox County changed the treasurer’s office from an elected position to an appointed one in 2007, and is currently the only county in the state to have such a procedure. Other counties elect treasurers every four years, and they mostly serve part time.

In a unanimous statement of support, commissioners said they chose to put the question to the voters because it would have a minimal impact on the election season.

Former Treasurer Mary Ann Prue resigned earlier this year after moving out of the area, and Roy Gedat was chosen by Oxford County Democrats and appointed by Gov. John Baldacci to succeed her.

The commissioners also say that appointing a position would represent a cost savings, and that audits and the Budget Committee could still provide the watchdog functions of the treasurer.

“Basically the treasurer’s position has transferred into more of a figurehead type of elected position,” Commissioner David Duguay said Thursday. “I believe we can streamline that position and department into a savings of about $20,000, which might be a drop in the bucket when you’re looking at a $6 million budget, but there’s a lot of drops in that bucket and they all add up.”

In addition to the treasurer, the county’s financial department has two-and-a-half, full-time positions. Duguay said the treasurer’s position represents $20,000 in salary and benefits, and commissioners could save money by appointing a deputy treasurer to fill the position. A deputy treasurer has announced her retirement, so Duguay said the commissioners will look at the entire department to seek greater efficiency.

If voters approve the change, it will go into effect after Gedat’s term expires at the end of December.

Gedat, who has announced that he will run in the November election if the position remains elected, disputed that the change would result in savings and said the state billed the county $5,000 to print the ballots. He said the commissioners had opportunities to propose the change before, and he believes the question is a “purely partisan act.”

“I think an elected position is going to give some independent checks and balances over the financial decisions that are made by the county commissioners,” he said.

Besides Gedat, six out of eight county treasurers available to answer questions on Thursday recommended that the position remain elected. Androscoggin County Treasurer Bob Poulin said an appointed person could be less accountable to the public and less likely to take a stand against the commissioners for fear of punishment.

“If you’re appointed, then you owe your loyalty to that electing body,” he said. “Whereas if you’re elected from the public, you can enforce rules knowing there are no consequences.”

“If you’re elected, you can pretty much tell the commissioners exactly what you think,” said David Parkman, treasurer of Waldo County.

Cumberland County Treasurer Diane Gurney said an appointed commissioner might also necessitate a higher salary than elected treasurers receive. Piscataquis County Treasurer J. Paul Raymond said the county discussed making the position appointed, but opted to keep it elected and add qualifications for the position.

Somerset County Treasurer Tracy Rotondi said there had been some discussion about changing the status to appointed, but that the position remains elected.

“I think it’s the vote of the people, and they shouldn’t take it away,” she said.

Duguay said an elected treasurer is answerable to the public, but only once every four years. He said the commissioners would hold an appointed treasurer accountable each day.

York County Treasurer Frank Wood said he has urged that county’s commissioners to make the position appointed and allow the deputy treasurer to assume the title and retain her responsibilities.

“Basically in York County we have a full-time deputy treasurer and then I go in to check the payroll and invoices and that sort of thing,” he said. “It seems to me that with a full-time deputy treasurer, there doesn’t have to be this other layer. You could make the deputy treasurer your full-time treasurer and cut down on the bureaucracy.”

Wood declined to take a position on the Oxford County measure.

“I think it’s up to each county,” he said. “It depends on the workload and how they’re set up.”

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