By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The resume packages for the Naples town manager position have started to pile up.

But not for much longer. That’s because Friday is the last day to apply for the job.  

Those resumes are being sent to Maine Municipal Association (MMA). MMA was contracted by the Naples Board of Selectmen to assist with the hiring of a new town manager after John Hawley announced his resignation in March. Hawley had been with the town for about five years.

The position was advertised long before Hawley’s last day on May 12.

“We have already begun the search process for a permanent town manager,” according to Chairman Jim Grattelo.

On Monday night, Grattelo said the job application deadline is drawing to a close. That means the process of figuring out who to interview will be one of the next steps, he said. 

“As of today, we had 13 applications,” he said. “There are nine other towns looking for town managers so it’s a tough pool. But, we do have applications. The deadline is Friday.”

“The select board is going to set up a committee to review these [resume packages] and start the interview process,” he said. Also, during Monday’s meeting, Grattelo introduced the person sitting in the manager’s chair at the board table.

“For everyone in the public and in the audience, this is Bill Giroux. We’ve hired him as the interim town manager. He has no desire to be the permanent town manager. He is willing to come on board and help us for the next three to six months,” Grattelo said. “He will be at the helm to get us through the summer.”

After a moment, Giroux shared a little bit about himself.

“I am semi-retired,” he began. “I’ve been a manager most of my career. I started working for municipalities when I was in high school. I’ve been a town manager and city manager for the past 25 years. But, now, I just do this part-time. It is not a bad spot to be. I don’t have to come and swallow everything the town has to throw at me.”

He will be working three days a week.

“There are a half dozen people in the state who do this; and there are nine communities who need one [a town manager] right now,” Giroux said. 

He mentioned a general timeline that it might take for the town to hire a manager.

“I am here for three to six months until you get a town manager. Last time, it took 10 months. I’ll stay until you get a new manager,” Giroux said. “I think I can hold the fort down.”

Around the state, there has been an increase in town manager openings.

Some of the municipalities looking for a town manager include Lyman and Limestone. The Town of Monson was advertising for one in January 2023. The City of Portland searched for the most suitable candidate for a year-and-a-half, following the resignation of Jon Jennings in November 2021. Within the past week, on May 19, that search ended when Danielle West was hired by the Portland City Council. West had been the interim city manager since November 2021.