Elections have consequences.

That phrase is often treated as political, depending on who says it and who hears it, but the statement itself is true.  Elections change leadership.  They change priorities.  They change the tone of a community.

Camden has just come through its June Town Meeting and now has a new Select Board, with a new Chair.  That is the normal process of local democracy.  New boards have the right to set priorities, ask hard questions, and sometimes make big changes, but they also have a responsibility to be careful.

In my opinion, Camden’s decision to part ways with Town Manager Audra Caler is a mistake.

I served on the Camden Select Board from 2022 to 2025, and as Chair for a significant part of that time.  I worked with Audra closely, and I saw the job she did.  I saw how prepared she was, how much she cared, and how hard she worked for Camden.

Audra was not just filling a seat; she knew the issues; she knew the history; she knew and cared for the staff; she knew how to manage a municipal budget; she knew the pressure points in town government; and she understood all the challenges of managing Camden.

Camden is a special place, and anyone who has served in town government here knows it can also be both a challenging and rewarding place to lead.  People care deeply, speak up, and have strong opinions.  That is part of what makes Camden a great place to live, but it also means the Town Manager has to carry a lot of weight, often quietly, and often without much credit.  Audra carried that weight well.

Some have criticized her as being “too political.”  I never saw it that way.  A good Town Manager is supposed to have judgment.  A good Town Manager is supposed to study the issues, understand the options, and tell the Board what the facts show, even when the facts are not popular.  That is not politics.  That is professionalism.

On wastewater, paid parking, dam removal, the Snow Bowl, short-term rentals, budgets, staffing, infrastructure, and plenty of other difficult issues, Audra was an informed and steady resource for the Board.  She did not make the Board’s decisions.  The Board made its own decisions, but Audra did help make sure those decisions were based on facts, history, process, and consequence.  That matters.

Local government is not just about who wins a vote.  It is about what happens after the meeting is over.  It is about whether the work gets done.  It is about whether the staff is supported, whether the public is informed, whether the town’s business keeps moving, and whether people can still work together after disagreeing.  Audra understood and embodied that.

Reasonable people can disagree about policy.  In Camden, we certainly do.  We can disagree about paid parking, the Montgomery Dam, the Snow Bowl's future, uses for the old Tannery lot, Elm Street School use, affordable housing, economic development, and any number of other issues.  That is normal and healthy.  But disagreement over policy should not cause a town to lose sight of competence, dedication, and institutional knowledge.  Those things are not easy to replace.

I believe the previous Board should have secured Audra’s contract before this point.  I also believe the new Board should have recognized the value of keeping an experienced and capable Town Manager in place.  Both things can be true.

If Audra wants to continue in municipal management, I have no doubt she will have other opportunities.  She is respected because she is good at the work.  She is a serious, capable, educated, experienced, and steady leader.  Those qualities matter in Maine town government.  To all of us, they matter in Camden especially.

The larger question is what message this sends to the next Town Manager.  What experienced municipal professional will want to step into a job where hard work and professional judgment can be treated as a problem instead of an asset?  What does Camden gain by losing someone who knows the town, knows the staff, knows the systems, and has helped carry major issues through years of public process?  I do not ask those questions lightly.

I care about Camden.  I served on the Select Board because I care about Camden.  I know the members of the Select Board care about Camden too.  I do not believe this is about bad intentions, but good intentions do not always lead to good decisions.

Public service requires humility.  Winning an election does not mean everything before you was wrong.  Losing an election does not mean everything before you was right.  Leadership means knowing the difference between changing direction and throwing away something valuable.  In this case, I believe Camden is throwing away something valuable.

There is an old line: “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”  Camden had a mature, experienced, steady, educated, and dedicated Town Manager in Audra Caler.  I saw that firsthand.  Camden will be very fortunate to find someone as good again.

Thomas Hedstrom served on the Camden Select Board from 2022 to 2025, including as Chair of the Board.