CAMDEN — While she remains Camden's Town Manager until the end of September, Audra Caler is enthusiastic about filling her new post Oct. 1 as the Yarmouth Town Manager.

"It is exciting," she said in an Aug. 24 phone conversation, describing the governmental structure of that Cumberland County town of 9,000 citizens and its forward-thinking leadership team.

Caler, who signed a separation of employment agreement June 26 with the Camden Select Board, after nine years of serving as the Camden's town manager, said she looks forward to relocating to Yarmouth and working with the seven-member Town Council and 85 staff members there.

The agreement included a gag order on comments that could be construed as derogatory on various parties for six years after Dec. 31. That stipulation stymied a transparent public understanding of why Camden's Town Manager was abruptly no longer leading the town. Caler, whose employment contract was up for renewal by the end of June, had signed the document, along with Select Board members Bobb Oxton Blake, Susan Dorr, Ken Gross, Chris Nolan and Christopher Rheault, that Caler would be leaving her post.

The early summer fracture in Camden's leadership left the public and former Select Board members wondering how a town manager went from a regular work schedule just prior to June 9 Town Meeting to taking a medical leave just after Town Meeting, a situation only to culminate with a signed agreement stipulating the parties acknowledge for the historical record, "that there are no existing corrections, disciplinary warnings or actions, letters of reprimand, or recordings within Ms. Caler's official Personnel file relating to her employment with the Town of Camden. To date, Ms. Caler has performed her duties and responsibilities in an exemplary manner. The separation of employment as of Dec. 31, 2026 is a mutual decision of the parties signing below.”

Caler is still effectively Camden's Town Manager for another month, although she remains on medical leave, which she initiated just after June  Town Meeting. Caler declined to comment on the reason for her medical leave, but said she is regularly in contact with Camden municipal staff, in particular Jodi Hanson, whom Caler delegated to assume town manager duties in her absence.

Caler has signed a three-year, $185,000 contract with the Yarmouth Town Council. Her total compensation in 2025 with Camden was $148,000.

She said she had two interviews with the Council, along with department heads and a few community members through the search process. Yarmouth's town manager Scott LaFlamme left his post in June to lead the Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority and the interim town manager is Nathaniel Tupper.

She said there was not much conversation during the interview process about why she is departing Camden.

"The good think about other municipal follks is that it is all pretty obvious to them, so I did not have to talk about it," she said. The "it" being the "circumstances around me leaving," she said.

Caler said Yarmouth's 14-member search committee reached out to references whom she had included on her application. They were former Camden Select Board chairs, committee members and town staff.

Yarmouth's Town Council had unanimously approved Caler's appointment at its Aug. 20 regularly scheduled Council meeting. Since then, only one Camden Select Board member, Christopher Rheault, has contacted Caler and congratulated her on her new job, she said.

Still, she has bittersweet emotions about leaving the town where she has been raising her children, and shepherding through new initiatives approved by voters and the Select Board.

Caler especially said she will miss the Camden town staff, who, she said: "are top-notch in what they do and the town is lucky to have them. They are a really great team."

Meanwhile, Yarmouth said Aug. 21 that its Council: "enthusiastically appointed Audra Caler as its new Town Manager. Following a national search, Caler emerged as the selected candidate with a strong background as an experienced municipal leader."

“On behalf of the Town Council, I am delighted to welcome Audra Caler as Yarmouth's new town manager”, said David Craig, Town Council Chair, in that announcement. “Her professional references offered glowing praise for her strong leadership, innovative mindset, and collaborative approach. Audra’s impressive experience and skills align perfectly with our community's current priorities and strategic needs.”

Caler said the Town of Yarmouth has a demographic that leans to professionals with families and who work in Portland. She said that town has made improvements to municipal governance, such as establishing staff roles for communications, human resources, town-owned property maintenance, and sustainability. Unlike Camden, Yarmouth does not have multiple special revenue funds and budgets, such as the Snow Bowl, wastewater and Opera House.

"Camden has a lot of things we do in a labor intensive manner," she said, with tasks, "that increasingly take up the time and energy of staff."

Over the next several weeks, Caler said she will be tying up administrative business in Camden, and getting files in order for the transition to new leadership.

As for Camden, it is working on its town manager search process with the help of Maine Municipal Association.

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657