Bar Harbor’s Town Manager Resigns
Sutherland steps down
BAR HARBOR— The town heads into a budget session and continues with multiple law suits without a town manager.
Town Manager Kevin Sutherland has submitted his resignation for personal reasons.
In his letter, he cited needing more balance and personal time with his family and that it was not an easy decision.
Sutherland was unanimously selected to be the town manager in November, 2021. He shepherded the town’s cruise ship management plan this year and instituted “Manager’s Minutes,” a biweekly session at the Jesup Memorial Library where he had an open back and forth with members of the community. Multiple ordinances and programs were revised or started during his tenure. He also had detractors who felt he wasn’t tough enough when it came to cruise ship limitation implementation and that he had overstepped his role as town manager when dealing with chalked graffiti on town sidewalks in opposition to Northeast Harbor summer resident Leonard Leo.
Council Chair Valerie Peacock read a statement from the town at Thursday’s budget meeting with the Warrant Committee.
Peacock said they would appoint an interim town manager.
Selecting a new Town Manager ought to be a consultative process. With all applicants who get to the interview stage making a public presentation with Q&A. And mediated by the excellent Town Clerk, - not the complicit Town Council.
The Bar Harbor Town Council went to the mats defending Sutherland's misdeeds. They are complicit in all the harm he's done. Time to demand an accounting of every penny of town money Sutherland spent. He bragged about itemized budgets, so there should be a record.