SANFORD — The city manager in Maine’s northernmost city is poised to become Sanford’s new town manager.

Steven R. Buck, manager in Caribou since 2001, is scheduled to begin his position in Sanford Aug. 6.

The town council received 43 resumes and interviewed four candidates for the position. Two finalists were selected and second interviews were held with the council, staff and some community members, according to Council Chairman Alan Walsh, in a prepared statement issued this morning.

Buck could not be reached for comment by press time, but Walsh said Buck has dealt with similar issues in Caribou, like downtown revitalization, that Sanford is facing.

“His resume shows he has a tremendous amount of people management skills,” said Walsh in a telephone interview this morning.

He described Buck as a seasoned veteran who is “extremely capable.”

Managing Sanford, with a population of about 21,000, will be Buck’s second municipal management job. Caribou, by contrast, has a population of about 8,200.

Prior to entering city management, Buck ran his family’s large farm and packing company, according to the statement. He has also served as a selectman in Corinna.

Buck holds a bachelor’s degree and is working toward a master’s degree in public management from the University of Maine.

The town council reached an agreement to hire Buck Friday evening, and is poised to formally appoint him at their June 19 meeting.

Walsh said a contract hasn’t yet been ratified between Buck and the town council, but he said he expected the new manager’s salary to be in the $100,000 range.

Buck takes the reins following the departure of Mark Green, who left in May to take a new job as executive director at the Washington-Hancock Community Agency. Green had been Sanford’s town manager since 2004. James Nimon, director of the Sanford Regional Growth Council, is interim town manager.

In a prior interview, Walsh said the town received applications from as far afield as Washington, D.C., Virginia and Indiana.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, Ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.

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