RUMFORD – Selectmen have voted 3-2 to advertise for a new police chief.
Town Manager Steve Eldridge said the split decision was made last Thursday following a closed-door review of the three applications submitted from within the Rumford Police Department.
Those three applicants will also be considered for the position once the the applications from outside the department have been submitted.
The deadline for applying for the job is Nov. 11. The salary is expected to be $50,000 or more.
Eldridge said Friday that Selectmen Jim Rinaldo, Jim Thibodeau and Mark Belanger voted to advertise outside the department. Selectmen Jolene Lovejoy and Greg Buccina voted to hire from the pool of inside applicants.
The position opened when 27-year veteran Chief Timothy Bourassa announced his retirement effective Dec. 23.
Eldridge said he doesn’t expect to fill the position before the first of the new year. During the interim, 16-year department veteran Lt. Stacy Carter will serve as acting chief.
The manager said he expects to sift through the new applications in November, then schedule at least three interviews in early December. From there, he will submit one name to to selectmen for consideration.
Eldridge said he has leaned toward hiring from within since Bourassa submitted his resignation.
“This is an opportunity for upward mobility. The applicants are extremely well respected, and hiring from within provides a smooth transition,” he said.
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