By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — In February 1978, the person hired as the Casco town manager had not yet graduated from college. However, he already had four years of work experience with a municipality.

A work-study job with the Town of Gorham helped Dave Morton land the position as town manager in Casco. Also, that work-study job led him in the direction of an occupation that he would enjoy enough to spend 41 years in that capacity.

In four decades, he has worked in the town hall, which has been at four different locations. In 2016, the town acted as the general contractor to save the taxpayers money during the construction of a new town office.

Every year during Casco Days, Morton, like so many other residents, volunteers his time. He is the voice calling out the letters and numbers at Beano tent.

Going back to 1978, he was selected as the second town manager of Casco. The previous person was employed as town manager for about six months. So, it has been Morton who carved out and sculpted what roles and responsibilities the job would entail — sometimes out of necessity. 

As the two-week countdown to his retirement neared, Morton took time to answer some questions for The Bridgton News.

Q: Someone who went to school with you told me that you were quiet and seemingly shy in high school. Perhaps this is true or not. How has it been to be in a position in which you are often the center of attention, required to go to many social functions, required to engage in public speaking, and need to know the answers to many questions?

Morton: I still am quiet. I will go for long times without saying anything. I like to listen. You learn a lot more when you listen.

So, the knowing answers is easy. I have always been a quick study. I retain things quite well.

Public speaking has always been difficult and it continues to be. That is not something I look forward to. I don’t aspire to be in the limelight.

Q: Since not all town managers do, what has it been like living in the town where you work?

Morton: So, I have always lived in the town where I worked. Living in Casco has allowed me to connect more with the people and to have that understanding of issues and challenges that arise. Also, because I am here, I share those same issues.

A long time ago, people would come up and share about this or that. I would politely listen. Then, I started to sometimes say, “It is hard for me to remember things said in social setting. So, call me at the office.”

People have been great. If I meet someone at the grocery store and they say, “What about the pothole on my road?” I say, “Shoot me an e-mail at work.” It is difficult to separate your persona and your management persona. People have been really great about respecting the boundary.

The only time I get calls at home is when there is something that needs my attention immediately.

Q: What nostalgic quality or qualities do you wish you could bring back to the Town of Casco? What positive quality or qualities or characteristics do you think still exists/exist in the Town of Casco?

Morton: I’d like to answer question No. 3 and 4 together. I don’t think there is anything I would like to bring back to Casco. Even though Casco has great group of people that steps forward — volunteers and staff and the recreation department — I feel like there isn’t as much citizen participation as there used to be. I don’t think that this is unique to Casco. People are busier; both people in the household need to work. It seems that when I first came here, there was a greater level of community participation. We still have a great group of volunteers. But it is changing. There are fewer folks like that.

Q: What advice do you have for the incoming town manager?

Morton: If I had any advice, it is to listen to as many people as you can, trust the judgement of your employees and to enjoy working with the [Casco Board of Selectmen]. I think we have a unique select board; it is great group to work with. They disagree well. There aren’t a lot of boards that do that.

I would encourage her to enjoy the Lake Region areas.

Q: How does it make you feel to realize that in the State of Maine you have been in the role of town manager for the same town longer than anyone else? Was that part of the plan or did it just happen?

Morton: It makes me feel old. [Laughter] I feel really fortunate. It is something that I never really thought about. I am fortunate that Casco has been where I came to work. Casco has been a wonderful place for Donna and me to raise our family.

It was never my intent to set a record. The record will be broken someday — if it is, in fact, a record. It was a number of factors coming together that caused me to stay that long. I appreciate the area. My hobbies are outdoors-related. I have enjoyed working with the people of Casco.

I am not focusing on the record as much as having been fortunate it has worked out as it has.

Q: What made you decide to go into municipal government in the first place?

Morton: So, it was quite by accident. I started college in 1973. I had a work-study grant. Looking through the catalog, I saw an opportunity to work as an administrative assistant for the Town of Gorham. Evan March was the town manager in Gorham then. The job was interesting. I worked a few hours around my school schedule. I had some aptitude for it. I had the opportunity to work in all the different municipal departments: Public works, public safety, code enforcement, assessing, etc. It was a great experience.

I did well enough that they hired me after my work-study grant ran out. I worked for the Town of Gorham through my college years. At the age of 22, when I came to Casco, I had already worked for four years at the municipal level.

When I started out in college I thought I would go to law school, but I found out that I liked municipal work.

Q: Over the years, what was the most difficult issue or development in which people were angry and you felt like you were in the hot seat?

Morton: When the town did a revaluation in 2010, the town hadn’t done one in 16 years. Waterfront property had increased in value disproportionately. There were a couple 100 people turning up at every select board meeting complaining about the increase in taxes. It resulted in the revaluation It continued to be problematic. I think that shock for waterfront property owners really upset people. It was difficult.

Q: Over the years, has there been an issue or development in which people praised or were pleased with you?

Morton: Again, one of the things that attracted me to Casco is that the people in the community have always expressed appreciation for a number of projects that come about and worked well. We heard from the community when we did something well. I say ‘we’ because it is never just the town manager, it is a team effort with staff and/or the select board.

One example is: We closed our open-burning dump and created a transfer station and recycling center. We were the first example of that in the state. We were cutting edge. We regionalized our assessing services. We partnered with the Town of New Gloucester. We would have continued that except that the assessor passed away.

I feel like people have appreciated what we have done over the years because the select board expresses that appreciation and folks in general do, too. 

Q: So, what are you plans for retirement?

Morton: Well, I am still going to be busy doing something a couple days a week. My son is interested in me helping with his construction business.

I don’t think it is possible to go fishing so much that you don’t want to do it anymore but I am going to try. I have a fishing boat that hasn’t been in water for five years. I hope to change that. I hope to do more bicycling. Donna and I enjoy bicycling. I have two camps in Northern Maine — a family camp and a hunting camp I share with friends, and I hope to spend more time there. I am going to take it ‘one day at a time.’ I tend to stay busy.