BREWER, Maine — Just 28 months ago, Brewer voters decided their school superintendent should be required to live in the city. They might be asked in 2015 if they want to change their minds.
In June 2012, Brewer voters approved a charter amendment requiring the city’s superintendent of schools to live within city limits, 579-454. On Tuesday night, the City Council discussed whether to hold a special election in January asking if residents want to rescind that requirement after 2½ years on the books.
That effort failed to pass muster, falling in a 3-2 council vote, but a group of concerned residents is considering starting a petition drive to put the question before voters.
“I’ve seen the effect of strong leadership in schools,” Janet Nordfors, a 15-year teacher in Brewer schools, told the council, adding that she’s concerned that the residency restriction is a hindrance to drawing the most qualified applicants to the position.
A petition effort would require 50 voters to sign on initially, allow the language of the referendum question to be drafted, and another 450 registered voters would have to sign an official petition to get the question on the ballot for a special election, according to City Clerk Pamela Ryan. That process could stretch into late spring.
A special election typically costs the city $2,700-$3,000, according to Ryan.
Both Nordfors and Mayor Jerry Goss said the push to rescind the residency requirement was not a reflection of feelings for current Superintendent Jay McIntyre. But Goss, Councilor Bev Uhlenhake and Nordfors said they wanted to move the process forward quickly in case a search for a new superintendent will be launched in the next year.
It’s unclear who will be Brewer’s school superintendent in June 2015 after McIntyre’s two-year contract with the city expires. McIntyre has informed the board that he’s shopping for new jobs and did not plan on seeking a contract extension with the city because of uncertainty about whether the committee would offer a renewed agreement.
The search that resulted in McIntyre’s hiring in April 2013 fielded just 10 applicants.
The requirement of having potential superintendents “uproot their families” to move to Brewer, whether they live a few miles away or across the country, “will reduce our qualified candidates and create obstacles to finding the right person for the job,” Nordfors said.
The residency requirement stipulates that a new superintendent must reside in the city within three years of his or her initial employment. McIntyre, a Hampden native, was superintendent for SAU 64 in Milton, New Hampshire, at the time, but quickly relocated.
Councilors Joe Ferris, Kevin O’Connell and Matt Vachon opposed the proposal to push the reversal referendum ahead, saying the voters had spoken and as councilors they felt the more appropriate vehicle would be a citizens’ petition initiative.
The 2012 charter change was spearheaded by then-Councilor Larry Doughty. He said that he’s confident voters would reject a referendum to override his initiative.
Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter at @nmccrea213.