New Gloucester Town Manager Brenda Fox-Howard said she will no longer be joining the town of Casco as its new town manager next month.
Fox-Howard
Fox-Howard made the announcement at the March 15 New Gloucester Selectboard meeting in response to well wishes from resident Joe Davis.
“Thank you very much. I’m not going to Casco though, so just letting you know,” Fox-Howard said. “I just had a change of mind, so won’t be going there.”
Fox-Howard confirmed the news Tuesday and said she’s “just exploring some other options,” but didn’t provide more details. Her last day in New Gloucester will still be April 2.
“I’m really not quite sure yet which way I’m going to go,” she said.
Casco interim Town Manager Don Gerrish said Tuesday that he received a letter from Fox-Howard the day before asking “to not be held to the contract.”
The Casco Selectboard voted to unanimously approve a three-year contract with Fox-Howard at its March 2 meeting. Her starting salary was set at $97,000 with a $3,000 increase after a positive six-month review.
On Tuesday night, the Casco board voted to terminate the contract. Gerrish said at the meeting that she had another job offer. Gerrish will continue serving as Casco’s interim manager, although the Selectboard did not discuss how to proceed with the search for a replacement.
Chairperson Tom Peaslee and Vice Chairperson Mary Fernandes did not return a request for comment.
Fox-Howard was hired by New Gloucester last May under a one-year contract with a starting salary of $78,000. The agreement was set to expire May 18, 2021.
Fox-Howard previously served as the director of finance for the town of Peterborough, New Hampshire from 2016 to 2019 and for the Connecticut towns of Putnam and Winchester. She was at the two latter positions for nine months each, according to local news reports.
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