HOULTON, Maine – The Houlton Town Council voted 5-1 to accept the town manager’s immediate resignation following an executive session during Monday night’s meeting.
Councilor Erin Matthews cast the dissenting vote.
Town Manager Jeremy Smith was only in the top municipal post for eight months. He took the town’s administrative reins in early May, after making a cross-country move from New Mexico.
Following Monday night’s vote, Smith said he wished things had worked out.
He did not respond to requests for more comment from the Bangor Daily News.
Just prior to the executive session with Smith, Councilor James Peters expressed concern that he and another councilor had not been included in prior discussions about the matter.
He said that there was a process going on that most of the council members apparently knew about, but two councilors had not been asked and were only told what was happening in executive session.
Peters continued, saying that each councilor was elected by the citizens to represent them and they each have one vote.
“So the process that’s been taking place, it just seems like it’s a little dirty,” Peters said. “I just want the public to know and the council members to know I am not satisfied with the process. We may all want the same thing in the end, but I think we should all be included in the discussions.”
Matthews agreed.
“I would like a chance to say that I second that,” she said. “I take this chair I sit in very seriously, and I feel as though I might not be taken seriously enough. I think that transparency is very important, and I think that we need to do much better.”
After a seven-month search, Smith was selected from a pool of about 50 applicants for the town manager role. The Maine Municipal Association assisted the town in the search after then-Town Manager Marian Anderson retired at the end of August 2023 following five years in the position.
Police Chief Tim DeLuca worked double duty as interim town manager until the town hired Smith, whose salary was $110,000.
Prior to his town manager position, Smith was the director of community services for the city of Española in New Mexico where he said he was responsible for overseeing multiple budgets and community programs.
Most recently, the town council trimmed $1.8 million from the draft budget Smith had presented to the council.
According to council chairwoman Jane Torres, xxxxxx
