After searching for a new town manager for eight months, Bar Harbor has chosen a municipal administrator from Brewer to fill the post.
James Smith, who for the past 10 years has served as assistant city manager in Brewer, is expected to be appointed as Bar Harbor’s next town manager next week, when the town council meets on Oct. 17. Smith’s first day in his new job will be Monday, Nov. 13, according to Bar Harbor officials.
Smith previously has served as city manager in Rockland and as town manager in the Aroostook County town of Oakfield. A Marine Corps veteran, he holds a degree in public administration from the University of Maine.
“Brewer’s proximity means that James has spent time in Bar Harbor and Acadia and has some understanding of our strengths and our challenges,” Val Peacock, chair of Bar Harbor’s town council, said.
Bar Harbor has had two interim town managers since Kevin Sutherland abruptly resigned from the post in late January, after he was given two days to decide whether to accept a separation agreement. Sutherland had held the position for a little more than a year.
Sarah Gilbert, the town’s current finance director, served as interim town manager for several months before Cornell Knight, who preceded Sutherland as town manager, was hired on a part-time, interim basis in August.
Knight, who lives in Bar Harbor, served as Bar Harbor’s town manager for seven years, from 2014 through the end of 2021.
