Bennett on short list for Brunswick town manager job

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Star City could be searching for a new city manager, following word that Jim Bennett, who’s held the job since 2010, is one of two finalists for the same position in Brunswick — that’s according to a statement from the Brunswick Town Council.    In a written press release, Bennett confirmed that he is indeed a finalist for the position.
“Brunswick is a wonderful community that my family and I know well. The town manager position presents a great professional opportunity. For 25 years, my wife has followed me to various communities throughout Maine that I have served. With each move, we have relocated our family and had to start as new members of those communities. While we have grown to appreciate how special each of those communities are, we have reached that point in our lives where we strongly desire to return home. Brunswick is Deb’s (Bennett’s wife) hometown and very close to my hometown of Lisbon,” said Bennett.
Bennett noted as Presque Isle’s city manager he found citizens shared strong family relationships, something he believes in. He hopes the community will understand his desire to be closer to family.
“One of the truly unique virtues of living in Presque Isle and The County for the last four plus years is the high value that community members place on families. I trust that community members will see this desire to move back to my wife’s hometown as the same dream they have for their family members that have moved away,” said Bennett. “I have not applied for any other jobs and do not have any other immediate plans to seek any other positions in the foreseeable future.”
Bennett respects that this process belongs to the Town Council of Brunswick. As such, he will not be making any further comments or responding to any other media inquiries beyond his written statement until the Brunswick Town Council has completed their hiring process.
In mid-2013, Bennett was selected as president-elect of the International City/County Management Association or ICMA.
Bennett was chosen by the ICMA Executive Board at its meeting in Annapolis, Md. He began serving as president-elect for a one-year term commencing September 2013 at the ICMA 99th annual conference in Boston. Bennett will assume the role of president at the ICMA annual conference in Charlotte, N.C. in September 2014 — as the organization celebrates its 100th anniversary.