Portland’s police chief will step in as the next acting city manager as the city continues its search for a permanent replacement.
Michael Sauschuck will take over as the city’s top administrator when the current acting manager, Sheila Hill-Christian, departs for a job in Cincinnati on May 8, according to a news release issued by the city Friday.
The council, which met in executive session on Monday to discuss the interim replacement, is expected to formally appoint Sauschuck at its April 27 meeting. He will serve until a permanent replacement is hired, which is expected to be by July 1.
“I appreciate the support that the Mayor and Council have shown me with this decision and I look forward to working with the city’s strong team of Department Heads to continue carrying out a number of new policies and initiatives,” Sauschuck said in a written statement.
Deputy Police Chief Vern Malloch will serve as interim police chief and Anita LaChance, the director of recreation and facilities, will serve as the acting deputy city manager.
Councilors had to look deep into the city’s ranks to find a replacement because Hill-Christian was doing the jobs of both the city manager and the deputy city manager. Also, there has been a significant amount of turnover in several other top jobs at City Hall, limiting the number of potential candidates with the experience and knowledge of city operations.
Mayor Michael Brennan said the council chose Sauschuck, because he has been with the city for 18 years and has developed the reputation of being a good administrator. “People felt he has a good understanding of the many different constituencies in the community,” Brennan said. “Repeatedly, I heard people say he has strong management skills.”
Sauschuck currently oversees a department with a budget of $14.4 million and more than 200 employees. In his temporary role as acting manager, he will oversee a $221 million budget and more than 1,400 employees.
Sauschuck, whose salary will increase to $148,000 from $111,000, steps into his new role in the middle of the city’s budget deliberations and at a time when the city is under fire from the LePage administration over its welfare policies.
The city and school budgets being considered by councilors include the elimination of 24 positions, including 15 layoffs, and a 2.9 percent property tax increase, that would increase the mil rate by 58 cents to $20.58 per $1,000 of assessed value. It also sets the stage for reforms to its emergency shelter and General Assistance program.
Sauschuck said in an interview that he is comfortable taking over the city operations, because he will be surrounded by “incredibly strong department heads and a strong team all around.” However, he also said he is not interested in the permanent position.
“Really I’m just here to help out,” he said. “I have not applied and I don’t plan on applying.”
Hill-Christian, who was hired as the city’s deputy city manager in 2013, was appointed acting city manager last summer after Mark Rees abruptly announced his resignation after three years on the job.
Councilors publicly encouraged Hill-Christian to apply for the permanent position, despite hiring a consultant to conduct a nationwide search. Shortly before applications were due in early March, Hill-Christian announced she would not seek the job, prompting the council to extend the application deadline through the end of March.
On April 8, Hill-Christian announced that she had accepted a job offer to become assistant city manager of Cincinnati.
The city of Portland has received 66 resumes from people interested in the city manager position. The council is working with its Meredith, New Hampshire-based consultant, Municipal Resources Inc., to narrow the field to as many as six candidates for in-person interviews.
Sauschuck has worked for the city since 1997, when he was a patrolman. He was appointed police chief in January 2012, after former Chief James Craig took a job as Cincinnati’s police chief.
Sauschuck was born in Port Jervis, New York, and moved to Madrid, Maine, when he was in the third grade. After high school, he served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Maine in 1998 and is a graduate of the FBI’s 251st National Academy for Law Enforcement Leaders class. He is married to Portland Police Detective Mary Sauschuck.
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