LINCOLN, Maine — Fired Veazie Town Manager Bill Reed will be Lincoln’s new town manager and will start work Wednesday.
The Town Council voted 7-0 during a meeting on Monday to hire Reed with a one-year contract paying $65,000. Council Chairman Steve Clay said that councilors felt Reed was the most impressive among the eight finalists for the job.
“His interview and experience, and recommendations from former councilors and employees in Veazie” were the things that Clay said were most notable about Reed.
“He was the best one we had,” Councilor Rod Carr said.
Reed, who was Veazie’s town manager for 19 years, was fired from his job in September after incidents that he said stemmed more from personal strife than from opinions about his performance as town manager.
He had clashed with several Veazie Town Council members over their discussions outside of public meetings and over his requests for information from the Veazie Sewer District regarding the legality of its assessments, Reed said.
In anonymous ratings, Veazie councilors assessed Reed with ratings between 0 and 5 in 12 categories ranging from “Quality of Work” to “Leadership.” The grades were mostly twos and threes, but Reed received two zeroes each in “Personal Work Habits,” “Attitude,” “Teamwork,” “Public Relations & Communications” and “Leadership” — all from two councilors.
One of the two chose not to explain his reasons for any ratings, including the zeroes. Reed requested that the review session be open to the public — a rare occurrence — and more than 35 residents and town employees packed the council chamber.
In the days preceding his review, Reed had publicly questioned three Veazie councilors for holding informal discussions outside meetings. Three councilors make a quorum, the minimum number of members needed to take an action in a governing body.
Reed’s termination was “something that we were concerned about, but once it was looked into and we asked some questions, I was satisfied,” Clay said.
Reed has visited town several times and was especially impressive in his ideas for economic development in Lincoln, Clay and Councilor Curt Ring said.
Ring said Reed’s ideas matched what Ring wants to see happen in town, such as the development of a town industrial park.
Veazie councilors hired former Holden Town Manager Larry Varisco to replace Reed as an interim town manager and former Stockton Springs Town Manager Joseph Hayes as a permanent successor.
Reed succeeds former Lincoln Town Manager Lisa Goodwin, who is now Bangor’s city clerk, and interim Lincoln Town Manager William Lawrence, who is Lincoln’s police chief.
BDN reporter Nick McCrea contributed to this report.
That was a mistake. Enjoy.
Sounds to me you have some grief with Bill, great choice in my opinion. And to be honest with you i do not know who the guy who until today.
If you didn’t know him until today then you can’t establish a valid opinion judging him good nor bad. Look at history and talk with the town people. That’s all I’ll say. The rest is up to you.
I never knew him personally only from seeing him in public. And now after seeing his pic he is the same guy i have talked too and have discussed things before and he is a great guy. If you dont think so then dont visit lincoln at all.
I have known Mr. Reed for a number of years and have worked for the Town of Veazie when he was Town Manager. In my opinion Mr. Reed was good at his job and I never had a problem with him. I feel Lincoln made a good choice for their new Town Manager.
I believe he will be the best choice also, but christopher has something against him
I agree Lynn, I worked in the Town Office for Mr Reed for 8 years and can say that the people of Veazie were very fortunate to have someone as financially intelligent as he is. Veazie’s lose is Lincoln’s gain.
If so negative, how was he able to handle the job so well over such an extended period of time. He may not be Mr. Charming, although I thought he was, or Mr. Tactful, but he did the job apparently well for a long time. Sounds like he PO’ed the wrong people and there was enough on the board to reap a vendetta.
Good for Veazie and Good for Lincoln
Whenever the subject of a ‘midnight lynching’ goes out and calls everyone to come and see it done, and calls out the one’s in their hood’s, for what and who they are, folk’s, it’s about time that someone just come out and ask that ‘800 lbs gorilla in the middle of the room’ question. That Veazie had to go and hire a former Holden Town Manager, and then let him ‘go’ and then hire a 3rd former Town Manager tells me that the folk’s in Veazie need to start asking ‘those question’s’ and soon. That Reed got a $ 100K severance package is another HUGE indcator that something is ‘just not right’ in Veazie. I just hope that Reed can bring his level of objectivity and open-mindedness to Lincoln and that the Lincoln Town Council can be willing to work with him.
Open-mindedness and the ability to share, and make, a vision for the Town is something that every Town in Maine needs, more so since we are all trying to get ourselves outta these tough time’s. But what’s even more important is that Lincoln give Reed a chance to ask, see, hear and learn about the Town before anyone starts doing the ‘lynching chant’. It’s all about the people who live here, work here and make it all go ’round on a daily basis that make up Lincoln. The more, and better, both sides take the time to talk and demonstrate to each other their vision’s the better off Lincoln, and the entire Lakes Region, is gonna be. Isin’t that worth the time to learn, and even provide time for the ocassional ‘too-too’ step when if happens, and find out before someone start’s chanting ? It’s too bad that Paulie and Company didn’t. Maybe Lincoln can show them all how it’s supposed to be done the right way, on the 1st try no less !
Well said.
Good guy, too bad Veazie lost him.
He might be a good guy, even a good boss, but he was an incredibly incompetent town manager. Plot Veazie’s mill rates during his term against what residents are getting for that triple digit percentage increase and then let’s have a conversation about his ability. Good luck Lincoln, the comment “he was the best one we had” tells a lot about their applicant pool
“Good luck Lincoln, the comment “he was the best one we had” tells a lot about the applicant pool” first off Solomon who said that? I do not see it here. Also, are you insinuating that people that are employed in a town office are incompetent or just Veazie?
It’s right there in the article, read it again. Also, I repeat, research the dramatic increase in mill rate in the town of Veazie over the last 20 years and compare it to what residents have received and ask yourself if Reed did a good job. There have been outrageous expenditures in police/fire under his watch for just one example. The guy is incompetent
So what he was the best one you had???….so you settled on him. How about re-posting it? Have fun!
Remember that one time that David Proffitt interviewed at Minnesota Security Hospital? He was the best candidate, too. That worked out great. Good luck Lincoln.
The best revenge is living well and then showing kindness to your critics
Congratulations Bill. Couldn’t have happened to a better person. I do know Mr. Reed personally and I can honestly say that Lincoln chose wisely.
I’ve always found the “Round Robin” game of town and city managers here in Maine amusing…Same for school administrators…Nobody dares to think outside the box…Then wonder why nothing changes…LOL…
Not a bad salary at. 100k severance package then $65,000 after being let go twice for the same type of position. Politics is definitely the way to go for a career, excellent pay and you don’t have to be really very good at it. Congrats to Reed.
Then why don’t you become a town manager since it is such a cushy life and a piece of cake job!
Congrats to Bill!
At the annual Veazie town meeting last night, the current town manager and council had to have Bill answer the questions directed at them regarding town finances and what happened financially since Bill left. Bill also had to explain how the tax revenues and mil rate assessment work together. Speaks to the quality of the council and the choices that they make for us.
Thankfully, the people of Veazie are starting to wake up and get involved. The more the citizens learn, the more upset they get and want real change not just spending on $100,000 vendetta’s at citizen expense. They have voted out a long time incumbent who was part of the gang of 3 holding the out of session meetings. Only 2 to go for a fresh start.
As a side note, the incumbent canidate (12 year council member) can not show up to council meetings or even the annual town meeting but has plenty of time to make re-election signs. Shows what the priorities of the incumbent canidate is – preservation of power.
The town rumor mill says there may be more to the town manager story coming out shortly – none of it good for us taxpayers.
The incumbent who just lost the election lost his wife of 40 years to cancer in the weeks leading up to the vote. I think this explains his absence at public events. It is important to remember that politics involves human beings. Good luck to Veazie as things seem to be getting more contentious all the time.
I am empathetic to Mr. King for the loss of his wife. It is very difficult to lose a loved one.
However, if the loss was so great, he should have resigned from the council or stated due to personal reasons he would finish his term out and not seek re-election. Everyone would have understood and been empathetic and supportive of Mr. King.
To seek out re-election when having a large personal burden such a dying spouse is not fair to the taxpayers who elected him or who supported him in the last election. Having the time to make 30 or 40 handpainted campaign signs and not walk across street for a 1 hour council meeting is not right.
Someone genuinely interested in serving should not have to forego a potential three-year term due to a unexpected death during the election. However, the people have spoken and a new councilor has been elected. I don’t believe it is useful, on top of the loss of his wife and the loss of his council position, to question how he handled himself while grieving.
I just posted the Video of Mr. Reed being sworn in as the new Lincoln Town Manager.
Come watch! http://www.youtube.com/user/lincolnmainemeetings
Towns should hire residents of their own town for municipal positions.
Yes because where you live is far more important than qualifications. Some towns do not have people with municipal government experience. But hey, if they live in the town they get the job?
It is possible that Lincoln is expecting Mr Reed to relocate
Mr. Reed, This is a horrible article and a pretty crummy way to treat someone that just landed a new job! I wish you all the luck in the world and once you’ve been there for a year, Lincoln will be begging you to sign a much longer contract! Congrats to you and best of luck!!