Dale Doughty City of Lewiston

LEWISTON — Dale Doughty, who was slated to replace outgoing City Administrator Denis D’Auteuil next month, has announced his resignation.

The announcement leaves city leaders with two important holes to fill this summer with D’Auteuil set to finish out his tenure on July 27.

Doughty said Monday that he tendered his resignation last week and that his last day is scheduled to be July 14. He said he’s leaving due to a “professional opportunity that I can’t pass up at this time,” but declined to give further details.

Both administrators are leaving Lewiston government after only a year in their respective positions.

Doughty, the former Public Works director, came into City Hall as deputy city administrator on July 1, 2020, the same day that D’Auteuil officially took over for longtime administrator Ed Barrett.

D’Auteuil announced his resignation in late April, stating he plans to enter the private sector.

Doughty, a Pittston resident, said he plans to be flexible with his departure date.

“I want to leave the city in the best position I can,” he said.

When D’Auteuil resigned, statements from himself and the City Council commented on Doughty being an important part of the transition process.

Mayor Mark Cayer said Monday that while Doughty’s resignation is “disappointing,” he’s confident that the challenge will be “addressed quickly.”

An interim city administrator could be in place as soon as Tuesday.

The City Council on Tuesday will hold an executive session “to discuss a personnel matter regarding the city administrator search process,” which could result in City Council action immediately following the session.

“Dale’s departure as our deputy city administrator is disappointing and he will be missed,” Cayer said. “Dale was a big part of our pandemic response and added value to our administrator team. I wish Dale well in his next endeavor.”

“Clearly the timing has created challenges, but with a solid transition plan and a good leader, I’m confident any challenges will be addressed quickly,” Cayer added. “During our upcoming council meeting, the council will be discussing our city administrator position. I expect more information will be available at the end of our meeting.”

Cayer said once an interim city administrator is in place, that person will concentrate on filling the deputy position.

“Change is occurring in our community, but with change comes opportunity,” he said. “Rethinking how we do things with fresh eyes is never a bad thing. We have a City Council and a staff that has dealt with the unexpected for a year and a half. I have great confidence in this council and our staff to move our city in a positive direction.”