I always thought the town manager/city manager worked for the town/city council? Isn't that how it works? Don't they make all the rules? Aren't they the ones that vote and make all the decisions? Why is the town/city manager being blamed for issues revolving around this city council? Change needs to come from the city council. Tom has done a great job. Maybe someone needs to investigate the town/city councilers? One in particular comes to mind. There is a lot of behind the scenes "let me advance myself" by using the town to benefit himself, that people don't know about. How do some of these councilors, one in particular, look themselves in the mirror each morning.

You got that right. Some of those city counil members (and I said some, not all) need to take look into thier own mirrors and they will make Mr. Stevens look like an angel!!! The said thing is that we all know who the three bad apples are on the council, yet we continue to keep them. So if we lose a seasoned town manager beause of these three idiots, its our fault as voters!!! Is Mr. Stevens a drunk? NOPE! Is he a thief? NOPE is he an idiot? NOPE is he trying to be something he isnt? NOPE Just a man doing his job and getting the short end of the stick. Good luck Mr. Stevens on your new endevours, ive heard Bangor is looking for a new city manager, they would be lucky to have you. IDIOTS IDIOTS IDIOTS!!!!!!!!

While I don't have any strong feelings one way or another for Tom, people need to realize that a decision was made. The council wanted change, they gave him plenty of notice. This happens all of the time in the private sector. Maybe we shouldn't have city managers for 17+ years? Just like we shouldn't have Senators for 50 years. And if you don't like the folks on the council, vote them out of there. Don't Monday morning quarterback every decision. The hot issues in Presque Isle in the last 3 months have been this, and the loss of crossing guards. Is that really the best area for them to be focusing their time?

17 Years is a long time for a city manager. Usually they are gone in 4 years. It is time to bring in new blood. Younger blood at that. New Ideas.

Replace the name Presque Isle with Bangor and the story can be used again at the next Bangor City Council meeting.

Hiding behind "Executive Sessions" is a cowardly way to run a democracy. The minutes of all meetings should be published. If there is sensitive material, redact it. Redact too much and you look like you are hiding something.

And if you want a term limit on City Managers, make them run for office and call them Mayor.

The "Executive Session Law" is there to protect the people that are discussed, or the town itself. It is not there to protect the councilors. Understand that certain issues have to be done in executive session or the town can be held liable. It is a necessary evil that is better used when the discussion is in question. It can save lawsuits and taxpayer dollars!

isnt the city council suppose to give the direction to the city manager? If the City Manager is lacking direction into the 21st century it sounds like thats the councils fault. The city manager is hired/fired by the city council and follows their direction. Unless Tom is working against the council and their agenda, it sounds like the P.ISLE city council havent got a clue what the 21st century is. Its seems its easier to get rid of the manager than for the council to say it FAILED.

Where are you going to find a manager thats willing to relocate in the potato fields and promise a new comming? Sounds like Millinocket to me.

militaryman - I agree, but the pertinent information can be released if all party's agreed. The downside is the failure to explain to the public why you are doing what you are doing.

What a pathetic council the City of Presque Isle has. Everywhere you go people are talking about our community and wondering what is wrong with this council. Mr. Stevens has always done an outstanding job and is well respected in this community. Can we say the same for any of the Council members? I don’t think so. The Council needs to go. A recall is in order!

It's hard to say which is worse...............Presque Isle's city council or Stevens. I'll sit this one out.

It takes courage to make decisions such as this one, and to keep them private to protect the employee (EG Van Buren is in the news weekly and have gone through like 5 managers is 2 years) I applaud the council in how they approached this, and in talking to others, it seems that for every person who is upset about TOm leaving 3 are pleased that PI may go in a new direction. . They just tend to not be vocal as some of the others who have written to the editor. I cannot imagine having to deal with the headaches this council has dealt with over the last couple of years. Thank you for your service. It is thankless, payless, and unappreciated. I wish Tom the best, as he has served us well for many years.

Namehelp: No one has said it better. I wish Tom well but it is time for new leadership. Lets see some of the naysayers step forward when it is time to run for a council seat instead of hiding in the bushes.

Lack of teamwork... city councilors are just as much to blame, but why put your head on the block if you can use a scapegoat.

Good luck to you Tom... you've done your best and the town that gets you will be lucky to have you!

Well!!!! Tom Stevens must of done something right. He has been with the city of Presque Isle for 17 years. I can't figure it out, your going to get rid of a fine Town Manager during one of our worst recessions. Plus the town manager doesn't make the executive decisions that run the city and set policy, the town council does. The council says they want to get some fresh ideas in heading into the 21st century. Well why haven't they does this like other towns and states that where into the 21st century 10 years ago......All the city manager does is to meet with the town council and carry out their policies that they have voted to go forth with and present them to the town manager who executes the councils wishes. The town council has NO ONE to blame but themselves.....Tom Stevens has done a excellent professional job for the city of Presque Isle. Gerald Clark was the city manager before that. I went to Gerald Clark when he was city manager to talk to him about my real estate taxes etc. His answer was....if you don't like the city tax structure, than move. I did just that and I pay $5,000.00 less in real estate taxes a year than I did in Presque Isle, and I have a better home. My $38,000.00 truck cost me $156.20 to register with excise tax for two years. In Presque Isle it costs me.....$1,265.00 to license it for two years. The reason Presque Isle has a hard time attracting businesses, is because of there high tax structure. Plus....when you have 47% of Maine people receiving some kind of welfare assistance, you end up with less tax income coming into the city and state, you end up with less services.

We have a board of supervisors where I live that make the decisions on how the city is ran and what monies will be used from the county taxes to run the ciity. They than present it to the town manager at one of their meetings and he executes their decision making polices. It's the same way in thousands of towns and cities. So for the town council to get rid of the town manager because they need fresh ideas and a new direction....well look no further to find where the fault lies in the city making bad decisions for the past years. The town council needs to grow up, stop whining and blaming the town manager for their poor judgement and bad decision making and step up and take the responsibilty for their past decisions and bad policies that they brought forward and instructed the town manager to carry them out....Presque has suffered enough through bad council decisions in the past. Now stop thinking about how wonderful you think you are and get off your ego and start making sound decisions for the betterment of Presque Isle and for the taxpayers who put you on the council....and need to remove you and get new blood in there so the town manager can execute new and sound policy decisions, instead of each of the councils ego's getting in the way.... Tom I wish you and your family, all the best in your future endeavors and you leaving will be our loss and another towns asset....you have made us proud with your hard work and dedication...Hopefully the next town you get to be the manager, you will have a council that has been living in the 21st century for the past years and have made sound and professional decisions instead of whinning about how bad things are going and blaming someone else instead of the council who has made and dictated city policies...Back in the 60's we called it Horray for me, look at me and aren't I wonderful.......