Athol brings on new treasurer/tax collector

ATHOL – Following four years as the Orange Town Treasurer, Amber Robidoux is now serving as the treasurer/tax collector for Athol.

Robidoux has been on the new job since Aug. 18. She and her husband Jason have two children, both of whom currently attend Franklin County Technical School. Although a resident of Orange, Robidoux said Athol Town Hall is closer to her home than downtown Orange, one of the reasons that she applied for the Athol position.

“But I really wanted to grow,” she said. “Most towns in Massachusetts are set up with a treasurer/collector; it’s very rare to find a treasurer and a collector. The HR experience I had has been extremely helpful, but it was time for me to grow and taking on the collector piece was very appealing.”

Robidoux said she and her family moved to Orange 11 years ago from Blackstone. She owned a business called Orange Graphics with two storefronts, but when COVID hit, the loss of revenue led her to look at other options.

“I had actually considered applying for an Athol dispatch position, but then I saw a posting to oversee HR in Orange,” she said. “A friend of mine said I should give it a shot, and at the end of summer 2021 I became the HR person. About eight months later I was HR/assistant treasurer….Then, after another eight to ten months, our treasurer retired, and I applied for the position.”

Robidoux added that learning the ins and outs of municipal finance comes down to common sense.

“I think it’s all about asking questions and thinking through things before acting,” she said. “What I really appreciate is the transparency that comes with working in the public sector. It’s all out there, which is a little different than in private business. If there are any inequalities or mistakes are made, it’s all visible. If there are things that people have questions about, they can get the answers.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.