In a surprise vote that came after two executive sessions, Lewiston City Councilors voted last night to buy out the remainder of City Administrator Jim Bennett’s contract and show him the door.
Bennett had locked horns with councilors throughout the year over the authority of the council, the mayor, the city administrator and staff. It came to a head in May when Councilor Denis Theriault accused Bennett of dividing the council, according to the Sun Journal. The vote, 5-2, buys out the remainder of Bennett’s contract, which paid him $110,000 a year, the paper reported.
During Bennett’s eight years at the city’s helm, he oversaw the development of the city’s gateways, the expansion of the Wal-Mart distribution center, downtown renovations, industrial parks and other investments that led the city, in partnership with Auburn, to lead economic development in the state twice in the past eight years.
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