NEW GLOUCESTER — Town Manager Sumner M. Field III on Wednesday named Harry Childs of Greene the town’s new deputy treasurer/bookkeeper, picking him from 29 candidates.

“Harry has significant municipal finance experience, knows (the town’s software program) from both sides of the counter and has been an active participant in budget preparation and computer conversions,” Field wrote in an email to town employees and selectmen.

Childs began his duties in the full-time position Thursday, at a rate of $16 an hour, Field said by telephone. Childs worked in similar posts in Canton and Greene. He resigned abruptly from his post as administrative assistant in Canton in August, according to a Sun Journal report.

He replaces Sandra Sacco, a 25-year employee whose position was changed to part-time status effective Jan. 2 by a board vote on Nov. 4.

The board, by a 3-2 vote following an executive session, cut the bookkeeper’s position to half time, without benefits, and agreed to hire a part-time finance director. The moves were made in anticipation of Field retiring from his town manager’s position at the end of 2013.

Public outcry days after the vote faulted the board for holding the executive session illegally.

Sacco resigned Nov. 25, citing a hostile work environment.

The board in December rescinded the vote and reinstated the job as a full-time position with benefits, and voted not to seek a finance director for six months. The board also ordered the bookkeeper’s position to be advertised.

Sacco, a 25-year town employee, was required to apply for the position because she had resigned. She said she sent an email to Field at 8:01 p.m. on Dec. 26 — the deadline day for applications — expressing her interest in the position. He sent her a note Jan. 6 saying her email came after the deadline, which was the close of business Dec. 26.

In a related matter, Sacco requested a copy of her personnel file from Field on Dec. 5. Her husband, Gary Sacco, the town’s fire chief, also requested his personnel file.

Field said by phone earlier this week that he was putting Gary Sacco’s file together and would have it ready soon, but he said he has searched for Sandra Sacco’s file without success and termed it “missing.”

Efforts to reach the Saccos for a response to the missing file have been unsuccessful.