HELP WANTED: The town of Rumford, Maine, seeks a new town manager. MUST LIVE IN RUMFORD. All other applications will be filed in a circular receptacle.

The right candidate must – besides reside in Rumford – be experienced in day-to-day management of a service center community, have strong communication skills and economic development acumen. Knowledge of natural resource-based industries – and fractionation – preferred.

Rumford has a population of 6,500, and lies in the heart of Maine’s gorgeous River Valley region. While the scenery is serene, the politics are volatile, which is why the town is looking for a new manager.

“We’ve lost a good man,” is what the chairman of Rumford’s Board of Selectman said about the now ex-manager, Steve Eldridge. There were some complaints about Eldridge’s performance during his two years of service, but the fact he lives in Monmouth stuck most in the craw of some townspeople.

A group sued to have Eldridge removed under the residency requirement in the town charter, which selectmen ignored in 2004, when they hired Eldridge from a pool of 30 applicants. His residency didn’t matter then, but for some reason it mattered now. So, Eldridge is gone.

Town manager is a high-profile position, with a strong gravitational pull for controversy. It’s particularly robust in Rumford, where, as stated, the selectmen just paid a “good man” to depart, and gave him nearly $75,000 on Tuesday as a parting gift.

Obviously, Rumford needs help managing its municipal business.

Prospective applicants must be able to survive staunch criticism and attacks, often with signs, sometimes with legal briefs. There’s a good chance the new manager will see both from the small, but vociferous, community group that led the watchdog effort to rid Rumford of the former manager.

Diplomatic and crisis-response experience would be helpful, too, as this group and the board of selectmen, aren’t exactly friends. As the chairman, Jim Rinaldo, said, “It’s sad that 19 people in a town of 6,500 can drive a person out of town.” Be advised, candidates: this scenario could happen again.

Rumford is at a crossroads. Recently, the town was passed over for a $45 million investment from a local company. There are vague promises for the future, but much has to come together. The NewPage mill, however, remains vibrant, thankfully.

The new manager must be tough, and smart, to survive in this job. As the Eldridge experience shows, job performance is not an indicator of community satisfaction. He did make some missteps, such as starting an unannounced audit, which fueled the movement to remove him.

Please send application materials to Rumford Town Hall and await a response. And, applicants must live in Rumford. No exceptions.

We really mean it this time.