AUGUSTA — City councilors are unanimous in wanting to keep veteran City Manager William Bridgeo in his post for at least the next three years.

Councilors voted 7-0 last week in favor of inking a new three-year deal with Bridgeo, who has managed the city for the last 13 years.

The three-year pact provides the Augusta resident Bridgeo a 2 percent raise this year, retroactive to July 1. In the second and third years, he would potentially earn cost-of-living increases if councilors also award them to other nonunion employees.

Councilors, before their vote last week, praised Bridgeo, especially for his handling of the economic downturn and resultant drop in revenues and need to lay off city staff.

“These have not been easy times to steer the ship,” Councilor David Rollins said. “Looking at like cities and what they pay their managers, his current compensation is not at the top of the list. We’re not at the bottom, either, we’re somewhere in the middle range. So by no means are we being extravagant with our money to compensate the city manager. Clearly, in my mind, he has earned it.”

The raise will be Bridgeo’s first in the last 15 months and second in the last four years. He currently makes about $106,000 per year.

The three-year contract keeping Bridgeo on the job into 2014 is the maximum length allowed by the Augusta City Charter.

Bridgeo said it is his hope that he and his wife, Janice, will be able to retire in Augusta when their careers are over.

He said the average tenure for a city manager, nationally, is five years, so he feels fortunate to have been able to “have the opportunity to put down roots” in Augusta for the last 13 years.

He said if he has been successful as a manager, it is because the City Council has given him the opportunity to do a good job, and said a major role for them in doing so has been allowing him to recruit talented city department heads and other staff.

Councilor Edward Coffin praised Bridgeo for working for Augusta even on his own time, noting the manager “likes his job, and it shows.”

“I’ve said before, this isn’t an easy job, but it’s a job that I love,” Bridgeo said. “And I can’t think of a place I’d rather live in or work.

“My promise to you, as long as I’m here, which is as long as you want me here, I’ll give it my all in the best interests of this community.”

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

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