White to continue as West Paris town manager

WEST PARIS — Town manager John White will be around for at least another year after the Board of Selectmen decided to offer him a new contract.

White, who will be serving his fifth year as West Paris Town Manager, said he was happy to sign on again.

"When I was in college at Orono, I knew I wanted to work in a smaller community like West Paris," said White.

He also cited his residency in Oxford Hills as a major reason why the job suited him.  His family has lived there for years and he and his wife have raised their seven children in the area.

Before becoming town manager of West Paris, White had worked in Durham, a much longer commute.

The selectmen were more than happy to offer White another one-year contract, which included a small raise in line with those received by other town officials. He has foregone a raise in the previous year.

White's work with the warrant for Town Meeting has received particular praise, with residents and selectmen alike offering their compliments. The annual meeting, which took place Saturday, March 5, was clear, efficient and included half as many articles as in past years.

"He's done a good job of making the warrant clear and easy to understand," said newly appointed chair of the board Wade Rainey.

In addition, White has been active in moving the town's recycling system to single stream, a change that they are hoping will be completed within the year.

"John has done a great job and we're happy to have him," said Rainey.

White said he was happy to be a part of the community and proud of what he and the town have been able to accomplish so far.

"I am pleased to have been able to continue keeping West Paris in a strong fiscal position," he said. "West Paris is a great community with great folks who make our state, not to be cliché, the way life should be."