BIDDEFORD — The City Council on Tuesday hired a veteran administrator with nearly 30 years of experience in municipal government as the next city manager.

In a unanimous vote, the council hired James Bennett to replace John Bubier, who is stepping down after leading the city for the past decade. Bubier will continue to work 30 hours per week for the city on economic development projects.

Bennett, 54, said he is excited to work in a city with a strong focus on mill redevelopment. He said coming to Biddeford feels like a good fit after his time leading Westbrook and Lewiston, cities that also redeveloped former mill buildings.

“It seems the entire leadership and community is behind making the changes to make Biddeford one of the cutting-edge communities in the state,” he said. “It’s like it was meant to be in so many ways.”

Bennett currently is city manager of Presque Isle. He will begin his new job in Biddeford on Aug. 17, after wrapping up his time in the Aroostook County city.

Bennett takes over at a time of historic transition for the former mill town, where the downtown is being redeveloped for residential, commercial and light industrial uses. He also takes over the top administrative job at City Hall in the midst of a state investigation into sexual abuse allegations against a former police officer that has dominated local meetings this year.

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“I think the city (hiring) process was done extremely well and I’m pleased with our unanimous decision this evening,” John McCurry, the council president, said after the vote. “I see us moving forward in a good, positive direction.”

Bennett was given a three-year contract to oversee nearly 300 full- and part-time employees, and a combined municipal and school budget of $75 million. He will be paid at an annual rate of $117,000 for his first six months on the job and at a rate of $121,000 a year thereafter. His performance will be reviewed annually by the council.

A Lisbon native, Bennett was first elected as a selectman in Lisbon at age 21. Bubier, the outgoing Biddeford manager, was the town manager in Lisbon at the time and encouraged Bennett to pursue a career in municipal management.

That happened in the mid-1980s, when Bennett became town manager of Dixfield. He served as town manager in Dixfield and New Gloucester for two years each before moving to Old Orchard Beach in 1990.

Bennett was town manager in Old Orchard Beach from 1990 to 1997 before leaving to become city administrator in Westbrook for five years. He served as city administrator in Lewiston from 2002 to 2009. He has been city manager in Presque Isle since 2010.

In 2002, Bennett was named “Manager of the Year” by the Maine Town, City and County Management Association. He was the recipient of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce’s Public Service Leadership Award in 2006.

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Last year, Bennett was a finalist for the town manager position in Brunswick.

A self-described “change agent,” Bennett said he enjoys the challenge of helping “communities change what they desire to change.”

In Old Orchard Beach, Bennett oversaw projects that fixed up the downtown area and helped the community start to change its tough reputation.

“We laid the foundation for a lot of the work that community has done in the past 25 years to change its reputation,” he said.

James “Bud” Harmon, retired director of the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce, worked with Bennett during his time managing the town. Harmon described Bennett as an “excellent” town manager who was always professional.

“He knew the budget inside and out. That’s what I most appreciated about him, that he was very thorough in his work,” Harmon said. “He was very frank with his opinions. You don’t always agree with him, but that’s the nature of the beast.”

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In Westbrook and Lewiston, Bennett was able to lead the cities as they embarked on projects that improved the communities’ reputations and led to development of business parks and the downtowns. The state valuation of Lewiston doubled from $1 billion to $2 billion during his seven-year tenure, he said.

“(Biddeford) feels very familiar in terms of what it presents for opportunities,” he said.

Outside of his work in municipal government, Bennett is active with the Masons and Shriners. He also performs with the Kora Shriners Klowns as Gin Jo.

Bennett will have to establish residency in Biddeford within six months of his hiring, as required by the city charter. He said he and his wife, Deb, are excited to move back to southern Maine and closer to family and friends.

“Biddeford is a perfect match,” he said.

As city manager, Bubier was paid $128,000 a year. He will earn $75,000 a year in his newly created job in economic development.

Biddeford is one of three southern Maine cities in the midst of a transition in the top administrative position. Portland this month hired Jon Jennings, the assistant city manager in South Portland. Jennings will begin at Portland City Hall on July 13.

In Saco, City Administrator Richard Michaud recently retired and the City Council is looking for his replacement.

 


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