LINCOLN, Maine — Town Manager Ron Weatherbee wants to finish his career the way it began.
That’s why the 62-year-old plans to resign his position by Sept. 1 to become a math teacher at Penobscot Valley High School in Howland.
Weatherbee spent 33 years in education, most of them with Lincoln schools and Lee Academy.
“I missed it. It has nothing to do with anything negative from the town side,” Weatherbee said Monday. “I missed dealing with the kids.”
Weatherbee, who is paid $68,998 annually, tendered his resignation Friday. The School Administrative District 31 board will finalize Weatherbee’s hiring Wednesday, he said. Attempts to contact SAD 31 Superintendent Michael Wright and board Chairwoman Pamela Hatch were not immediately successful.
To help facilitate the transition to a new manager, Weatherbee will remain in Lincoln until the school year begins, Town Council Chairman Steve Clay said.
“Ron will be missed because he is a very well-liked person in town. That made a lot of difference on controversial issues,” Clay said. “Ron could deal with people. Maybe they could not agree, but because it was Ron they were dealing with, it made it go a lot smoother.”
Weatherbee, also formerly the town’s recreation department director, has been Lincoln’s town manager since the council voted 7-0 in July 2014 to name him interim town manager, replacing William Lawrence. The council named him full-time town manager in November of that year, at $65,000 annually, with another unanimous vote.
The council will discuss replacing Weatherbee when it meets Aug. 8, Clay said.