Winslow town employees say they support Town Manager Ella Bowman following the disclosure that Winslow Town Councilor Mike Joseph unsuccessfully sought a protection from abuse order against Bowman in July. Dylan Tusinski/Morning Sentinel file

WINSLOW — Town employees released a statement in support of the town manager Monday night at the first public council meeting since a judge denied a councilor’s request for a protective order against the manager.

Winslow Town Manager Ella Bowman Photo courtesy of Ella Bowman

The statement was read by Town Assessor Judy Mathiau, who praised Town Manager Ella Bowman’s work ethic and the environment she has fostered in the town office.

“Quite honestly, it’s a pleasure to walk through those doors and feel like you’re being appreciated,” Mathiau said. “Her compassion towards all employees has become a much-needed addition to our work environment.”

Bowman became visibly emotional as Mathiau read through the statement while joined at the podium by Garrett Lower, code enforcement officer; Audra Fleury, town clerk; and several other town office employees.

“She has our utmost support in her abilities to perform her duty as the Winslow Town Manager,” Mathiau said. “Ella Bowman is the best person who can move our town in the right direction and be a strong leader for all employees.”

The statement was one of the first things on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting, which was the first public council gathering since Councilor Mike Joseph requested a protection from abuse order against Bowman following a tense interaction after a July 8 Town Council meeting.

In his complaint, Joseph claimed he feared for his safety when Bowman “started to yell at me and putting her finger in my face.”

He ticked a box in court paperwork indicating he believed he was in immediate danger of physical abuse because Bowman, a former police officer of 15 years, “may have firearms.”

Bowman later acknowledged her anger over Joseph’s accusations during the meeting that she was conspiring with others to “embarrass” and “undermine” him, though she denied claims of harassment or abuse during the altercation.

“I was mad and I told him how I felt about what he said to me in a public meeting and in front of a camera,” Bowman said last week.

Joseph went into detail about the alleged incident in several court filings, though he never described what incited the tense conversation. His request was ultimately denied by District Court Judge Charles Dow.

Bowman is one of the only openly transgender town managers in the country and was hired as Winslow’s town manager last year after nine years as head administrator of nearby Oakland.

She spoke out against the political climate in Winslow at Monday night’s meeting during her usual report to the council, urging unity among an increasingly fractured municipal body.

“Unfortunately, my employees and myself are feeling the stress and pressure of this environment being created,” Bowman said Monday. “We’ve really got to start working together by pulling this together somehow.”

Tensions at the Winslow town office have ran high over the last year. Joseph and Councilor Fran Hudson stoked controversy in recent months after sending emails questioning fellow Councilor Lee Trahan’s cognitive function and ability to govern while he recovered from a coma.

Joseph and Hudson were elected last year as political newcomers swept three incumbent councilors and a school board member out of office.

The emails between councilors raised concerns about municipal officials legislating in private, a topic that had already made headlines when the town attorney chided councilors for risking a “fine line” last year by discussing town matters at the former chairman’s garage.

Councilors are scheduled to convene again for a special meeting Tuesday night, which will not be open to the public. The only item on the agenda is consultation with legal counsel.