Portland’s Police Chief Nominated to Serve as Acting City Manager

Assumes duties May 8 until a new City Manager is hired

Portland, Maine - Mayor Brennan and the City Council announced today that they are nominating Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck to serve as Acting City Manager once current Acting City Manager Sheila Hill-Christian departs on May 8, 2015. Sauschuck’s nomination still needs to be voted on at the April 27, 2015 Council meeting. If approved, he will assume duties on May 8 until a new City Manager is hired.  Assistant Police Chief Vernon Malloch will be appointed to serve as Acting Police Chief during his absence.  Anita LaChance, current Director of Recreation & Facilities Management, will also be appointed to serve as Acting Deputy City Manager. Sally DeLuca, the City’s Recreation Director, will serve as Acting Director of Recreation & Facilities Management.

"I appreciate the support that the Mayor and Council have shown me with this decision and I look forward to working with the city's strong team of Department Heads to continue carrying out a number of new policies and initiatives," said Chief Sauschuck.

The City is currently in the midst of a search for a new city manager.  The City Manager Search Committee has been meeting for the last several months, and working with Municipal Resources, Inc., a search firm that specializes in public sector executive recruitments.  The Committee last met on April 10 following the news on April 8 that Hill-Christian accepted the position of Assistant City Manager in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Committee is currently reviewing interested applicants and will ask between nine and eleven candidates to respond to essay questions. Based on those responses, the Committee will narrow the field to as many as six candidates for in-person interviews sometime during the week of May 11. The goal is to have a permanent City Manager in place by July 1, 2015.