Friends, well-wishers and staff will say goodbye to outgoing Boothbay Town Manager Jim Chaousis during a Feb. 27 farewell party, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Boothbay Craft Brewery.

Chaousis served as Boothbay town manager for 4.5 years. He will become Rockland’s city manager on March 2.

Chaousis, 37, is from Livermore. He served two years as the Livermore Falls town manager before coming to Boothbay.

Chaousis was one of six candidates Rockland interviewed for the position. He applied for the job after being recruited by a consultant working for the Rockland town manager search committee.

Chaousis said his tenure in Boothbay prepared him for his career advancement.

“I came to Boothbay for a lot of professional reasons,” Chaousis said. “It had a more sophisticated form of government, and I wanted to the challenge of managing a larger community. And that’s why I took the Rockland job, too.”

As Boothbay town manager, Chaousis is proud of what municipal government achieved during his tenure. When Chaousis arrived, his first major task was the financial restructuring of municipal government.

“It was a lot of work. We completely re-ordered the town finances from front to back,” he said.

The financial restructuring was needed to better track how funds were spent. The town adopted a new chart of accounts, which showed more clearly how the money appropriated at town meeting was spent.

“Over the past three audits, the auditor has been satisfied (that) the financial records show municipal funds are clearly being spent as intended,” Chaousis said. “The auditor has complimented the staff for the improvements made.”

Town government has also made great strides in embracing technology. The town has upgraded its technology to include a centralized server, an updated computer system and network, and data backed up at an off-site location.

“The town office can be annihilated and the next day computer systems can be up and running. That’s amazing to me,” Chaousis said.

The technological update also includes a more functional website. When Chaousis arrived, it seemed the town had given up on making the website a useful tool.

“When I got here, the last selectmen’s minutes posted on the site was from 2007. So it appeared they weren’t using the website to its potential,” he said.

The website is now filled with municipal information. The public can access municipal meeting minutes and agendas, correspond with officials by email, submit online permits and applications, and view live or recorded municipal meetings.

Chaousis said Boothbay is far ahead of other Maine communities in embracing technology. Chaousis believes bringing modern technology into the municipal office assists the staff in providing effective public service.

“Go town-to-town in Maine and see what they are using for technology and then go to a business,” Chaousis said. “There is a big difference. Boothbay is a like a $9 million business, and the technology is needed to meet modern challenges. Many Maine towns haven’t embraced technology the way we have.”

Boothbay has also embraced social media. Municipal employees are active participants in Facebook and Twitter. Chaousis believes social media helps town government connect with residents ages 25-50. Most older residents will visit the municipal office or attend a board meeting to find out what’s going on, but the younger residents use social media for information.

“We’ve engaged a whole different audience using social media,” Chaousis said.

Chaousis said he is also proud of his work on economic development issues and assisting in the development for the tax increment financing district.

The city of Rockland isn’t the only one to recognize Chaousis’ achievements as a town manager. Selectmen’s Chairman Steven Lewis said he knew Chaousis was a star in the making when the town hired him.

“We hired Jim four years ago because he was young, energetic and genuine,” Lewis said. “Unfortunately, another town noticed what we knew all along: That you are a rising star in municipal government.”

Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay property owner Frank Fassett said Chaousis was a one of the region’s strongest assets.

“He did a fantastic job,” Fassett said. “Just look at all the achievements he’s done in four years. He is going to difficult to replace.”

Chaousis decided to become a town manager by accident. 

In 1999, Chaousis, a former U.S. Marine, broke his back during a helicopter training mission in Hawaii. As a disabled veteran, he suffered both physical and mental anguish during his recovery.

He wanted to help other retired military personnel navigate the U.S. Veterans Administration.

“I found it frustrating to deal with the VA, and I wanted to help others avoid the problems I had,” Chaousis said.

His plans changed after he received a degree in public administration from the University of Maine at Augusta. After graduation, he accepted the Livermore Falls town manager position.