Ellsworth finance director, a high-turnover position, is vacant again

Less than 18 months after Ellsworth’s top municipal finance job was filled, it is now vacant again, continuing a pattern of turnover in the position.

Anne Laine, who was hired in December 2022 to run the city’s finance department, is no longer a municipal employee, according to City Manager Charlie Pearce.

“She has decided to pursue a new employment opportunity,” Pearce said Thursday night. “We extend our best wishes to her on future endeavors and express our gratitude for the contributions she made to the city.”

Pearce had earlier declined to comment on Laine’s employment status with the city, when asked about it last week. At the time, he cited the confidentiality of personnel matters.

Contact information couldn’t be found for Laine on Friday.

With Laine’s departure, Ellsworth now has had four finance directors in the past six years. Prior to Laine being hired, City Clerk Toni Dyer filled the position on an interim basis after Josh McIntyre left it in July 2022, following one year in the job.

McIntyre now works as Gouldsboro’s town manager .

Prior to McIntyre, Jenn Merchant, who now works as a credit analyst for Machias Savings Bank, served in the position since the 2018 departure of Tammy Mote. Mote left the position to take an administrative job with Rudman Winchell in Bangor and, since November 2002, has served as an elected Ellsworth city councilor.

Michelle Beal, who also works for Rudman Winchell and serves as chair of the city council, immediately preceded Mote as Ellsworth’s finance director before serving as the city manager from 2007 to 2015 .

Pearce said that the city planned to post and advertise the finance director opening by the end of this week. In the meantime, Nathaniel Moore is serving as interim finance director, having served as deputy finance director under Laine.

“We have complete confidence in Nate, our two deputy assistant treasurers, and our entire dedicated finance department staff to effectively manage the remaining tasks of the budget season and navigate us into the next fiscal year successfully,” Pearce said.

Laine’s is the second high-profile departure from Ellsworth’s city government this year. Glenn Moshier, who served simultaneously as both city manager and police chief, stepped down as manager at the end of March, after having been placed on leave from that role and then fired as police chief .

Pearce has been Ellsworth’s city manager since April 1. The police department now is being run by Interim Chief Troy Bires, who served as deputy chief under Moshier.