AUBURN – The one thing the Maine Turnpike Authority can offer Mark Adams that the city of Auburn cannot is time – the kind he wants to spend with his family.

“When I started here, my oldest son was 5 years old,” Adams said. “Now he’s going to high school. I just want to be there for that.

“It’s a tough world, you know? I want as much time to my family as possible so I don’t regret it down the road.”

That thought was at the front of his mind early in June, he said, when he responded to a newspaper ad for a human resources director at the Turnpike Authority.

It was in his mind throughout the month as he interviewed for the job and again on June 30 when he told City Manager Pat Finnigan of his decision to step down from his longtime job of assistant city manager.

“This job takes a lot of time. We all know that,” Adams said. “I work most nights. Even when I’m not in a meeting, I don’t leave here until 6:30 p.m. And even then, I work at home most nights.”

The city gave him the tools to work from home, he said.

“But then, you’re there, but you’re not really there – for them,” he said. “I don’t really want to do that anymore.”

Adams ends his 18-year stint in Twin Cities government Friday and starts his 9-5 job with the authority on Aug. 16. He’ll spend the weeks between taking care of some projects at his Lewiston home, setting up his new office in Portland and wrapping up some last-minute projects for the city, such as checking in on a construction tour at Auburn Hall next week.

He’ll be available to help his Auburn colleagues, he said, but he’s eager to start his new job.

Behind the scenes

Adams has had one of the most public jobs in the city, wrangling several departments and dealing with constituent complaints.

Now, he’ll move behind the scenes in Portland. He’ll be in charge of managing the pay and benefits program for the 500 or so turnpike employees, as well as being the lead negotiator with two unions. He’ll have very little reason to work directly with the public, he said.

“Oddly enough, that’s one of the things I think I’ll miss most,” Adams said. “I enjoyed the constituent complaints, because you really felt you had a chance to help people.”

Adams started his municipal career in Lewiston as an intern and then a Community Development Block Grant assistant. He was made assistant city manager a few years later, at 23.

He joined the city of Auburn in 1995. Auburn’s smaller size made the job more interesting.

“In Lewiston, the staff is twice the size,” he said. “The assistant’s job is a little more formal. I came here because I thought I’d be able to get more closely involved with more departments. And I did.”

Besides helping to reorganize the city’s Public Works Department, Adams helped guide downtown redevelopment. He also served as the city’s representative to numerous boards and committees, including transportation issues.

On Monday, at Adams’ last City Council meeting, Mayor Normand Guay said Adams would be truly missed by leaders and citizens.

“Everything we asked of him, he did – and he did well,” Guay said. “Mark contributed more to this community than most.”

Guay’s comments were met with applause and a quick standing ovation from councilors and the public attending the meeting.

Perks

Adams said he discussed changing jobs with his sons this summer, on their way to a Boy Scout event in Bar Harbor.

His city job did have perks, he said.

“It’s a kick when you can say your dad has a direct link to the police, or when you get to go down to public works with him and sit up on a bulldozer,” Adams said.

But the prospect of having early dinners with their father won out.

“They said, Whatever you want to do, Dad. If it means more time with us, we like it,'” he said.