Brewer’s outlook

City Manager James Kotredes was to be part of the new Brewer: A busy, uptempo place that knew how to attract business, work with state and federal regulators and turn a tired spot into something grand. His surprising admission of theft when serving as Millinocket’s manager means that his continued service in Brewer no longer is possible, but it does not mean Brewer should give up on the progress it has made.

Mr. Kotredes admitted in court Monday that he stole $11,000 from private funds while town manager in Millinocket. Until the moment he pleaded, he kept Brewer officials in the dark about what was happening, even though they were sure to be embarrassed when the news inevitably broke. If trust is essential in the relationship among a city manager and local leaders and the public, the lack of it in Brewer requires a change in personnel, unless Mr. Kotredes can provide new information.

This is particularly important in Brewer, where success is fragile because it is so new. After many years as runner-up to the bigger city across the Penobscot, Brewer in the last three years has put together a comprehensive plan that has allowed for commendable growth. This is not an accident but the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people who want to see something more for the city than the status quo.

Consider that in the last few years, Brewer has expanded its industrial park and built a business park, nearly filling both with well-respected companies that bring good jobs to the area. It has seen Lemforder and BAC expand, had companies like Trans-Tech break ground and watched Wilson Street, after seven years of no growth in retail sales, take off. Maple Street Park, once an EPA hazardous-waste site, is now a neighborhood gathering place. The H.O. Bouchard Hockey Arena gets even more popular with time.

None of this happened easily or without a strong positive attitude about Brewer’s future and a commitment to make it happen. Like the setback over a former employee’s lawsuit last year, the news this week about the city manager threatens to send Brewer back to the days of infighting, to the days when large achievements were sacrificed over minor squabbles.

Keeping a city moving forward is no easy job. Brewer’s elected leaders have done it for several years in a row and, with public encouragement, can keep doing it. They deserve support now, in the difficult times, more than ever.