March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Winterport OKs funds for manager’s departure

WINTERPORT — Residents voted 25-22 Wednesday to appropriate $34,084 as part of an agreement to terminate Town Manager Sharon Perry’s employment, but they made it clear that they wished they could have had some answers beforehand.

Selectmen Sam Butler told the group that state law prohibited officials from discussing their relationship with Perry since it was a personnel matter.

Reading a written statement prepared by Town Attorney Rick Violette, Butler said selectmen recommended accepting Perry’s resignation “because of significant differences in personalities and management styles” which didn’t allow the board and Perry to “work together in an effective, constructive manner.”

Butler and Preston Perkins were the only two selectmen to attend the meeting, since Vice Chairman Roger Doyon was at work, and Chairman Roland Ginn was home with a bad back. Selectman Brian Littlefield’s term expires June 19.

Butler acknowledged grimly at the outset of the meeting that he was the only member of the board “here to take the heat.” Butler, along with Doyon and Ginn, had been on the board when Perry was hired last summer.

Ginn said later that the vote was “the best thing for the town of Winterport and all the people concerned.”

“I personally feel real bad about ever having to pay out this money for a big mistake I made as a representative of the people of Winterport,” he said over the telephone. “I feel real bad [things] didn’t work out and we had to pay this settlement.”

Contacted at his place of work, Doyon said, “Taxpayers deserve a better explanation, but state statute and confidentiality laws prohibit us from saying more.”

Residents’ frustration at not being privy to details was apparent during the meeting. They tossed around the idea of rescheduling the meeting for the morning of June 19, just before town meeting, so that the other selectmen and the town attorney could be present.

“I have questions about [the selectmen’s] decision-making that don’t relate to the performance of the town manager,” said Mary Anne Royal. “I’m holding them accountable so I can have a sense of how to vote.”

Royal, who was a member of the board when Perry was hired, said she “wasn’t present during the hiring process.”

But resident Joe Watson disputed that postponing the meeting would make a difference, since selectmen weren’t able to elaborate on details.

“Why put off what has to be done?” he asked. “We’re in a bad situation, people say it’s selectmen’s fault, but we elected them. We need to move forward and get this over with.”

Perkins said the town could “postpone [the meeting] forever,” and still get the same answers.

“The only thing we can tell you is what Sam [Butler] told you,” he said.

Another resident, Martha Harris, wondered about the article included on the special town meeting warrant which referred to the town fulfilling its “contractual and-or statutory obligations” to Perry.

“I can’t in good conscience vote unless I know what statutory and contractual obligations,” she said. “Otherwise we’ll be voting on nothing.”

But, Butler told the group, “there is a difference of opinion” about whether a contract ever existed. He said although Perry claimed she had received such a document, “the board never voted to accept or sign a contract.”

Meanwhile, Harris lamented the money which the town was spending to put the issue to rest. She recalled voting to increase the budget to pay for Perry’s $40,000 salary.

“I remember hearing we [would have] the best town manager since sliced bread,” she said, adding that with the employment termination process, “we’re talking about wasting at least 1 mill.

“We voted down the school budget [because it would have increased the mill rate],” Harris said, alluding to Tuesday’s referendum. “At least children would have gotten something out of that. Now, we’re getting nothing.”

After the meeting, Butler said he was “definitely glad” residents voted to appropriate the funds.

“Hopefully, the town will move on somehow,” he said.


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