AUBURN — City Manager Howard Kroll announced his resignation in a letter to the city councilors late last week.
Assistant City Manager Denis D’Auteuil confirmed Kroll’s resignation Monday morning, but said he had not seen the letter Kroll sent to the council and to Mayor Jonathan LaBonte and that he had not talked to Kroll.
D’Auteuil said he found out about Kroll’s resignation on Saturday.
Kroll was out of the office Tuesday, but was expected to be in Wednesday. He was reached via text message but declined to speak to the Sun Journal Tuesday.
He is expected to stay with the city at least through the end of July.
City councilors have scheduled a special closed-door executive session Wednesday to discuss replacing Kroll. The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
City Councilor Bob Stone said he likes Kroll and will be sorry to see him go.
“But I don’t think this will be an earthshaking event,” Stone said. “It’s something the council will deal with, and we’ll try to end up with a strong person in the job.”
Stone said he’d prefer to promote a new city manager from within city staff.
Kroll took over as interim city manager after Clint Deschene resigned in November 2014. Kroll signed a nine-month interim contract later that month and became the full-time manager in August 2015.
Kroll came to Auburn in October 2012 from Brewer, where he had worked as assistant manager beginning in 2002 and city clerk in 2007.
Kroll had more than 14 years in municipal service before that, working as town manager in Milbridge and St. Agatha. He has an undergraduate degree in public management and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Maine and is credentialed through the Maine Town, City and County Management Association.
Kroll is also a supply corps officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and is a Navy veteran with nearly 27 years of service.
The revolving door for Auburn’s top job
- Howard Kroll, city manager, August 2015 – summer 2016; interim city manager, November 2014 – August 2015.
- Clinton Deschene, city manager, June 2012 – November 2014
- Don Gerrish, interim city manager, December 2011 – June 2012
- Phil Crowell, interim city manager, October 2011 – December 2011
- Glenn Aho, city manager, June 2008 – October 2011
- Laurie Smith, interim city manager, June 2007 – June 2008
- Patricia Finnigan, city manager, 1995 – 2007
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