Augusta councilors renew city manager’s contract for another year

Augusta City Manager Susan Robertson speaks during a City Council goal-setting session in January at the Augusta Civic Center. Councilors voted on Thursday to extend Robertson’s contract for a year. She has been in the role since October 2021. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file

AUGUSTA — The city has signed City Manager Susan Robertson up for another year.

Robertson, hired in 2021 when she agreed to be the city’s manager for at least the following two years, agreed to extend her contract with the city to October of 2024, after which she anticipates she will retire.

Robertson was assistant city manager when former longtime manager William Bridgeo retired after 23 years in the role. Robertson became interim manager but initially didn’t put in for the manager’s job because she had planned to retire in a couple of years and thought the city wanted a longer-term manager. Councilors at the time convinced her to become manager at least until 2023, and she became the first woman to hold the role.

Thursday night, councilors unanimously approved an extension of Robertson’s contract that includes a raise of more than $14,000 from her starting salary in 2021.

“I want to thank Susan for her service to our city. Two years ago we asked you to step to the table, to step up and be our manager when Bill Bridgeo left,” said At-Large Councilor Courtney Gary-Allen. “You’ve done that, and I’m proud of you as city manager and look forward to one more year under your leadership.”

Robertson, 64, said she didn’t seek a two-year contract offer because of her plans to retire.

She agreed to return for the coming year to continue work on important ongoing projects. And because she feels the current city council, and city staff, work well together and are genuinely concerned about addressing issues facing the city and its citizens.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the work we’ve done, internally and working with the council on the goals they’ve outlined, addressing things like affordable housing, revitalization projects and economic development,” Robertson said Friday. “I’m interested in working on those projects, and seeing the new police department come to completion. We’ve got a good bunch of people, the council works well together.”

She will be paid a salary of $159,099 for the year, with a vehicle allowance of $500 per month. The contract notes the city charter requires the city manager to live in Augusta. Under Robertson’s previous contract she was paid $145,000 a year.

She was first hired by Augusta in 2019 as human resources director and assistant city manager.

Before coming to Augusta, Robertson was the city administrator in Sun Valley, Idaho, for 6 1/2 years, and the village manager in Fox Point, Wisconsin, for 17 1/2 years. She also served as assistant city manager in Laramie, Wyoming, and Canandaigua, New York, where she worked with Bridgeo. She has worked 38 years in municipal government.

Ward 4 Councilor Eric Lind, in thanking Robertson for agreeing to continue for another year, suggested city staff should “start soaking in all the information they can from those 38 years.”

Robertson holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.