With its town manager on administrative leave and facing multiple scandals, the Madawaska Select Board appointed an interim manager Wednesday to temporarily take over administrative duties.
Dan Foster, who previously served as Madawaska’s interim manager for five months in 2024, will return to that post, the board said in a news release. It’s the second time Foster has pitched in to lead the town.
Foster will oversee the town’s day-to-day administrative responsibilities in the absence of manager David Daigle, who the Select Board suspended with the intention of firing in early September over his handling of the funding for a music festival that went significantly over budget.
Madawaska came up short at least $41,000 in expected revenue for the Northern Maine Summerfest, according to a financial report released Tuesday. The single-day festival took place in late August and brought a handful of up-and-coming artists to play in the St. John Valley.
It cost the town $90,000 to host, a little over half of which is expected to be covered by sponsorships and ticket sales.
The Select Board budgeted $75,000 for the concert, and accused Daigle of showing “blatant disregard” of its instructions by exceeding that figure.
Daigle is facing a dueling controversy from allegations that he used his Facebook account to send unwanted sexually explicit messages and video clips to people, though Select Board Chair Renee Deschaine previously said the board’s decision was not related to that.
In a post, Daigle claimed his account had been hacked. His Facebook account appears to have since been deleted. Daigle has not responded to requests for comment and did not answer the door when a Bangor Daily News reporter visited his home Tuesday.
Foster, who left his previous interim role in Madawaska when Daigle was hired, spent 15 years as the town manager of Fort Fairfield from 1998 to 2013.
He’s come out of retirement four times in the last four years to guide a town through a transition period between managers, twice in Fort Fairfield and now twice in Madawaska.