LIMESTONE, Maine — After two weeks in employment limbo, Limestone’s chief of police is now officially on the job with full municipal Board of Selectmen support.
Stacey Mahan, the Limestone police chief since 2007, did not have his yearly appointment confirmed during the July 18 meeting of the town Board of Selectmen.
The unanimous vote caught the chief and the town manager by surprise.
“I was not aware this was happening,” Mahan, who was not at the July 18 meeting, said several days after the vote. “I can’t really point to anything specific that could have caused this.”
James Pelletier, chairman of the Limestone Board of Selectmen, however, had indicated Mahan had plenty of warning his position could be in jeopardy.
On Wednesday, Aug. 1, the board met in executive session with Mahan, his attorney, the town manager and the town’s legal counsel.
“There was some discussion and it was all very professional,” Mahan said.
Donna Bernier, Limestone town manager, agreed.
“The meeting was very productive,” she said. “They talked with Stacey [Mahan] and it really went very well.”
After coming out of executive session, the chief said, the board voted unanimously to confirm his appointment for the year.
At the first vote to reject Mahan’s appointment James Pelletier, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, cited concerns surrounding Mahan’s handling some procedural and personnel matters.
“I am confident [Mahan] is going to address those issues in the department now that he knows the areas where there are problems,” Pelletier said Friday. “We have given the chief the time now to do that.”
Everyone involved said they are glad the matter has been resolved and are looking forward to moving on.
“It’s nice to know after two weeks of worrying that this is over and we can look ahead,” Mahan said. “The community support shown to me throughout this has really helped me get through it.”
Despite the lack of board approval on his appointment, Mahan showed up for work every day during those two weeks his position was in question.
“I’m looking forward to working with the people here,” he said. “I don’t have any ill-will toward anyone [and] I am not one to hold a grudge.”
Way to go Chief Mahan. This is the differance between him and other persons who hold public positions. When he says he won’t hold a grudge. HE WON”T! Sorry to see such a great man go through such a senseless bunch of grade school non-sense. Town board members need to be put in time out.
No, not a time out. But something tells me that someone took a long look at what they were going to be responsible for when, and the writing was on the wall either way you looked at it, Mahan either didn’t get his appointment renewed, and he was ‘let go’ as it’s called oh so politley, or when he had enough and told the Limestone Town Council that he ‘was done’ and they had better start looking for a new Chief. Given the way this whole mess was handled in the 1st place, and the backroom tactic’s that were clearly used, I for one wouldn’t blame Mahan for telling them all to start looking for a new Chief right now since they are obviously not happy. A Chief needs to be supported. Limestone’s Town Council, from what I’ve seen to date, couldn’t support a feather in a hurricane.
I suspect that Limestone’s folk’s are even now asking themselves just what their Town Council is doing, trying to run the Police Dept thru trying to intimidate Mahan, instead of doing what they were elected to do in the 1st place. And just as relevant is the question that’s not been asked, that being where was the Town Manager in all of this ? It’s their responsibility to have the ‘little talk’ with the Town’s Dept head’s if things aren’t going right. From all that’s been seen and heard, someone is markedly missing in this. Limestone’s next Town Council election’s are going to be vey interesting, and messy, if thing’s keep going this way for much longer.
What I heard is that members of the council have for months now been working behind the backs of the town manager, the police chief and the community to get a neighboring police department to take over. I would say that getting rid of the chief was part of that plan, but the found out that it was not as easy as they thought. Interesting that after the meeting with attorneys the council changed their minds….
Hooterville town goverment!
Not sure what is going on up there, but the Selectmen should only manage one employee – the Town Manager.
If they wish any other Town employee to have goals or go in a certain direction, they should convey that information to the Town manager who then conveys the direction to the Department Head.
Selectmen have no business dealing directly with Town employees other than the Manager. If the Manager cannot manage the employees then replace the Manager.
Looks like the Board is doing the Managers job, and this never ends well. Chief Mahan will most likely look to move on , unless the Manager assumes the responsibilities of the job..
They tried that once before and it didn’t work. Sounds like to me one of the officers might of tried to uphold the law to either a boardmember or boardmembers family or friend. Then the board wanted the chief to take care of it. More than likely the chief let the officer be a officer and refused to be the boards puppet. So, like most board members in this position tried to find any way possible to axe the chief and make him look like he wasn’t doing his job. Not seeing or talking to Mr. Mahan in many years, but knowing his love for law inforcement. I would probally bet he has all his i’s dotted and t’s crossed. Good luck Mr. Mahan in the near future. To the board members of Limestone do what youwill but do remember this. Mr. Mahan chooses to servre your community for he truley cares for it, and there is not one department in the state that would not want him on thier force. Nor one person that would not want him to call on them when in need.