Town manager to resign post

By DOUG HARLOW
Staff Writer

Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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CLINTON -- Town Manager Dale Morris has announced his resignation, effective at the end of January. He said the duties of being a husband and the father of a new baby and a 2-year-old require his undivided attention.

"The bottom line is that one needs a strong foundation at home and if you don't have that strong foundation it could affect other things in your life, so that needs to be our priority, to try to readjust together and move on," Morris said. "I need to focus on the issues at home. We've moved three times in the last 24 months so there's been a lot of stuff going on, a lot of transitional type items that we've had to adapt to as a family."

Morris said the prospect of passage of the so-called Taxpayers Bill of Rights or TABOR, also factored into his decision to step down. He said TABOR, which he said the Clinton Board of Selectmen officially opposes, will add work, time and stress to the job and would take more time away from his family.

He said he has enjoyed his two years in Clinton.

"First and foremost, the Board of Selectmen has been super to me -- I couldn't ask for anything better," he said. "Being a first-time town manager, I could not have asked for anything better. The people have been great and I hope they feel they have gotten their money's worth as well."

Morris said he lists the progress made in cleaning up junk yards and automobile graveyards in Clinton among his top achievements.

He said wants to gravitate to the private sector. He said he has two job prospects, one in Bangor and another in Portland, but he and his family will continue to reside in Clinton, at least until next summer.

Morris, 35, who grew up in Bangor, came to Clinton from Natick, Mass. He was hired as town manager in November of 2004 and began work in January of 2005.

Morris graduated from the University of Maine and went on to achieve his master's degree at Suffolk University in Boston.

He served as assistant town manager in Ashland, Mass., before coming to Clinton.

He took over for interim Town Manager D. Dwight Dogherty Jr. of Pittsfield. Dogherty was hired to replace Town Manager Keith Trefethen, who resigned to take a job in southern Maine.

Morris said the matter of finding a replacement for him will be on the agenda for the next meeting of the Board of Selectmen on Oct. 24. He said the town will work with the Maine Municipal Association on the project.