LEWISTON — Former Bangor City Manager Ed Barrett will be Lewiston’s next city administrator, the City Council decided Tuesday.

Councilors met behind closed doors for an hour before their regular meeting, then came back into public session to announce their choice.

Barrett, a 22-year veteran of Maine municipal government, got the nod over Lewiston acting City Administrator Phil Nadeau, who has served as deputy city administrator since 1999.

Barrett, attending Tuesday night’s council meeting, said he will take over the Lewiston job Jan. 11.

“There are a lot of people in Bangor that I really love, so that is the hard part, but I’m looking forward to Lewiston,” Barrett said. “My first job there is going to be to listen and to learn.”

Barrett will be on hand at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday for a press conference to discuss the new job.

He will replace Jim Bennett in the job. Councilors voted to buy out Bennett’s contract in July and began looking for his replacement right away. A search committee whittled a stack of resumes from more than 40 to three candidates — Nadeau, former Gardiner Town Manager Jeffrey Kobrock and former Falmouth Manager Doug Harris.

Councilors added Barrett to the list in November and quickly settled on him and Nadeau as their top choices. They interviewed both men on Nov. 18, then had city staff verify the candidates’ resumes.

Barrett has been involved in local government in Maine since
1988, when he left Wichita Falls, Texas, to take the Bangor manager’s
job. He has degrees in political science.

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