In June, Saco City Manager Rick Michaud announced his retirement effective Dec. 31. He then promptly sold his Saco home and moved to New Hampshire.

Under Michaud’s leadership, Saco underwent an unprecedented tax increase with little economic growth. He and city councilors have not done anything substantial to limit spending, and now Michaud is talking about another significant tax increase.

Instead of welcoming Michaud’s retirement as an opportunity to begin the arduous but necessary task of getting Saco’s fiscal house in order, city councilors (except for Bette Brunswick and Kevin Roche) voted to rehire Michaud. In a sweetheart deal, he’ll begin a new contract Feb. 1, 2015.

Michaud can now collect his pension from the Maine Public Employees Retirement System and his full pay of $121,485. He also gets an additional two weeks’ vacation, totaling six weeks of paid vacation each year.

Michaud also has the use of a city car and city gas to commute (75 miles round trip) to his new home in New Hampshire. That he’s no longer contributing to the tax base as a property owner just adds insult to injury.

The majority on the council certainly did not have the best interests of Saco residents in mind when they voted to rehire Michaud. My question is: For whom do these councilors work?

Is this what longtime Saco residents mean when they talk about an archaic “old boys” network running the city? If so, Saco residents have no one to blame but themselves. Saco will continue on this fiscally irresponsible path until an active citizenry demands a change in city management and in our elected officers.

Margarita Zavala

Saco

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