AUBURN, Maine — The town manager of Hermon and a former city administrator from Idaho are the final contenders for the top administrative job in the city.
Clinton Deschene, 39, town manager of Hermon, and Benjamin Marchant, 36, former city administrator of Jerome, Idaho, will be in the city next month for public gatherings and receptions at the Auburn Public Library, Interim City Manager Don Gerrish said Tuesday.
Marchant will meet with residents from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 1. Deschene will be available from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8.
“It won’t be public question-and-answer sessions, but a meet-and-greet social hour to get familiar with them,” Gerrish said.
Deschene said the Auburn job seemed to be a good fit for him.
“It’s an interesting career, being a municipal manager,” Deschene said. “I’m always looking for the right opportunity for my family.”
Deschene graduated from high school in Presque Isle in 1991 and from the University of Maine in Orono in 1995. He graduated with a law degree from Suffolk University in Boston in 1998 and began working for the town of Bradford in 1999. He began working in Hermon in 2002.
Deschene is married with two children, ages 6 and 2.
Marchant could not be reached for comment Tuesday. He has worked at cities and towns across the country, including the San Diego mayor’s office, a suburb of Chicago and Maryland Heights, Mo. He took the job in Jerome, Idaho, in 2008 and left last October.
The City Council is on track to select a city manager and begin negotiations in May.
The previous City Council voted to terminate City Manager Glenn Aho’s contract in October. They voted in November to hire consultants Eaton Peabody to lead the search for Aho’s replacement and to manage the city in the meantime.
Aho previously served as Lincoln’s town manager.
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hopefully hermon doesnt ose him or there goes the 11 mil taxes
mil rate is already gone….
If he leaves ,good luck findng someone of his talent who wants to deal with the town troublemakers,btw how did bdn find out about this ? the town troublemakers ? no doubt
You have asked this question twice now, call them and ask! As I said it was in the Sun Journal yesterday! I Have my opinion, just as you do! I think it will be an easy replacement!! IMHO!
If you believe it is easy to find good local administrators than your not paying attention. Clint has been good for the Town and there is no question that he has benefitted as well. If he moves on, I’m sure he will continune to do good work and those of us left in Hermon will continue to argue about the basic principals of right and wrong. For example, if a councilor has a job to do which includes a level of professionalism and confidentiality, HE will live up to the public trust rather than carry out a personal vendetta……
You misunderstood me, I did not say it was easy to find good local administrators. I said “I think it will be an easy replacement!”
very clintonian !
Sounds like you have a personal grudge of some nature. You are entilted to your opinion but my taxes have gone down under Clints time as manager and the town has grown. He has made an attempt for Hermon government to pass the straight face test. Anyone remember chair of the board with plowing contract, what a joke, good old boy system at its best. Clint has made mistakes but his mistakes are more positive than most peoples failures. Hermon is better than when he arrived.
Your taxes are going up this year, and will continue. We now have the responsibility of the state roads for an indefinite period. We have been paying Thousands of dollars for redzone (which has approx 200 customers) which does not pass the straight face test with me. I am allotted my opinion just as you are. I am confident the next town manager will work for the council (If the council figures out that is how it should be) as well as the council works for the people! (If the council figures that out!)
tell that to bucksport
It will be a sad day for Hermon if he moves on. If we lose him expect taxes to get out of control as they have with past managers. The council should be embarassed they are letting this happen.
True ,if they are smart they will match Auburns salary offer and keep him and the 11 something mil taxes..Then make everyones life easier by not allowing any nore grandstanding at council meetings by troublemakers.And if anyone is releasing priveledged info on the council to the troublemaker they should be forced to resign.
If you had read the Sun Journal, you’d know they were annoucing it today! Sounds to me like you are trying to start trouble by pointing fingers??
Oh please ,a certain council member has been known to call the bdn and complain, course than he was proven wrong but no follow up was done on that, meanwhile someones reputation is besmirched,they also have been known to call people in Hermon looking for a story, who cares if it was true long as it sells.And priveledged info has been spread too by trouble makers imo.
Good thing this is “Your” opinion then! Please!
its m opinion based on what ive been told by people who do know i promise ya.watch you will see.
FYI, He already makes what Auburn is paying! Our mil rate is going up btw so you cannot keep the 11, nor will you be, they will be going up….Up…UP, from here on out do to many things the current town manager has convinced the council we needed to do!
There are good managers out there, ones that are honest, reliable, have the knowledge and education and want nothing more than to better the community and to make it stronger. Believe me, I am married to one. Just because Hermon might get a new manager does not mean the taxes will skyrocket, the managers that are worth a darn are the ones that do not want to see taxes go up because that means the residents will be happy, so the select board will be happy so in turn the manager will be happy doing his/her job. Best of luck to everyone involved.