Update: Denis D’Auteuil leaving Auburn for Lewiston administrator post
AUBURN — A new city manager could be hired as soon as next month, Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said this week.
LaBonte said Tuesday he’s confident that Auburn’s next city manager is “somewhere in the mix” of the most recent applicant pool. The deadline for applications was Feb. 1, and LaBonte said city officials met last week to begin reviewing the 43 applications they received.
“Everyone, from the City Council to city management, would like to have a full team in place as soon as possible,” he said, but added, “We want to make sure we have the right candidate.”
The city reopened the search for a new city manager in January, after no finalists were chosen from its first round of applications in September 2016.
Auburn is still seeking a permanent replacement for Howard Kroll, who left the city on Sept. 9, 2016, for the manager’s post in Hermon. Since then, Denis D’Auteuil has been acting city manager.
Last month, D’Auteuil said he received an offer following the first round of interviews in 2016 but ultimately withdrew his candidacy. On Wednesday, both cities announced D’Auteuil is leaving Auburn for the deputy city administrator post in Lewiston.
John Bubier, a former Biddeford city administrator, will be appointed the interim city manager until a permanent replacement is hired.
LaBonte said the most recent round of applicants is “strong,” with some candidates who could “rise to the top” not considered in the previous round.
LaBonte said the council has already scheduled two dates later this month for the first interviews. The council was set to hold an executive session Tuesday (postponed from Monday’s storm) to finish reviewing the resumes. He said that could result in an additional night of first interviews.
Both rounds of the city manager search have been conducted with assistance from the Maine Municipal Association. The city is paying the organization $4,000 for the search.
Following the first round of applications in September, the city amended the job advertisement.
The latest advertisement from the city described the position as someone who is a “respected leader and manager who is well versed in finance and budgeting, economic and community development and who will work collaboratively with city staff, the elected City Council and Mayor, the School Department and other city stakeholders.”
This is the second lengthy city manager search in Auburn since 2012, when a seven-month process led to the hiring of Clinton Deschene. The city manager’s position has seen frequent turnover during the past few years.
Councilors promoted Kroll to temporarily replace Deschene in November 2014, making Kroll the permanent manager in August 2015. Kroll had served as assistant city manager up to that point.
With budget season approaching, city officials are hoping to lock down and hire a new manager by late March. LaBonte said a process extending well into budget season “would leave us living at City Hall,” referring to the frequency of meetings.
He said he has confidence in D’Auteuil and city staff to navigate the budget process prior to a new manager being hired.
“No one has concerns for that,” he said.
The second round of interviews are scheduled for March, and there will be a public component for broader community input, LaBonte said. He added that depending on the candidate chosen, the timeline has to account for a “reasonable transition time.”
Last year, Auburn was faced with a tough budget season, which resulted in five layoffs. The city will again have to identify more than $800,000 in cuts while crafting next year’s budget this spring.
The City Council also held an executive session Tuesday to discuss hiring a new general manager for Norway Savings Bank Arena. Marc Gosselin announced last week that he is leaving Auburn for a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League.
Jason Paquin, the current assistant general manager, will serve as acting GM when Gosselin leaves for Ohio.
