FRYEBURG — Sharon Jackson, who was removed as town manager of Paris last year, has been appointed to that position in the town of Fryeburg.

The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to hire Jackson and to give her a three-year contract. She has been interim manager since March.

“I’m happy about it,” Jackson said. “I’m excited. I’m glad to have the position, and I think it will be a good fit.”

Jackson, 57, of Oxford, was also given the responsibilities of tax collector and treasurer. She will be paid $65,000 a year, plus benefits.

Selectman Clifford Hall, chairman of the board, said the contract allows the board to remove Jackson without cause if she is given 60 days’ notice and six months of severance pay.

Hall said hiring Jackson would save the town thousands of dollars that would have been spent on a search for a manager.

“We had originally planned on doing a manager search, and based on her manager experience and how she has come in, she’s done a fantastic job of sorting things out,” he said. “She’s a breath of fresh air to the town of Fryeburg.”

Former Town Manager Martin Krauter was suspended March 1 after selectmen determined that there was cause to remove him from office. Krauter, whose contract was to expire at the end of this month, appealed the decision.

Selectmen voted 2-1 to approve a preliminary resolution in support of the decision on April 15, and finalized the decision with a unanimous vote May 27.

Hall said selectmen made 18 assertions against Krauter, and determined that nine were justifiable and strong enough to withstand litigation. The issues included allegations that Krauter withheld information from the selectmen and committees, and that he displayed a poor attitude with members of the public.

Jackson served as a finance clerk in Oxford for eight years, and on two occasions she worked as the interim town manager there. She was town manager of Paris from December 2004 until June 2009, when selectmen voted 3-2 to terminate her contract. Jackson’s contract with Paris had been renewed in January 2009 and extended to run until 2014.

Critics of Jackson charged that she was being overpaid at a time when the town was cutting back hours in other administrative positions. Jackson’s salary in Paris was $60,216 per year at the time of her termination, with raises to $64,116 scheduled for July of last year and to $68,016 scheduled for this July.

Jackson’s termination also sparked criticism of the selectmen: Voters in February recalled two board members who voted in favor of ending Jackson’s contract.

Jackson appealed the termination in Oxford County Superior Court, seeking reinstatement. The appeal charges that one newly elected selectman was seated too early to take part in the vote and that three board members held illegal meetings to arrive at the decision.

Paris has since hired Philip Tarr as town manager. Jackson’s suit remained active at the Superior Court on Friday, and she had no comment about any future actions regarding the appeal.

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“She’s a breath of fresh air to the town of Fryeburg.”

Fryeburg Selectman Clifford Hall