HOULTON, Maine — Houlton Town Councilor Jon McLaughlin resigned effective immediately Friday in the wake of the town manager’s arrest last week.
His resignation follows the council’s no-action stance during a Thursday meeting, which keeps Town Manager Cameron Clark in his position.
“As I have reflected on the options before us, it has become clear to me that my perspective differs from that of most of the Council,” McLaughlin wrote in his resignation letter, which he shared with the Bangor Daily News on Friday morning. “I no longer feel that I can contribute effectively as a member of this body, nor do I wish my continued service to become a distraction from the difficult decisions that remain ahead.”
Clark was arrested and jailed last week by Aroostook County sheriff’s deputies on charges of Class B tampering with a witness, a felony, and Class D domestic violence assault.
Since Clark’s arrest, the council has maintained a neutral stance, citing what they call the personal nature of the alleged crimes and that the charges will not interfere with his duties as the town’s manager. On Thursday night, during a special town council meeting and executive session with Clark and the town attorney, they took no action.
Despite Clark’s felony arrest, a growing public outrage and the urging of the Maine Town, City & County Management Association to place him on administrative leave with pay until the matter is resolved, council Chairperson Jane Torres said that there was no change in Clark’s role.
“Right now the town of Houlton has a sucking chest wound and this week we saw the first organ begin to fail because the wound has been left open,” said resident Joshua Atkinson, who was at Thursday’s special meeting. “The resignation of Town Councilor Jon McLaughlin is a direct consequence of this untreated injury.”
Atkinson called on the Town Council to stop pretending the situation is normal. The public is outraged, he said in a statement to the BDN.
McLaughlin said in his resignation letter that while the legal process must follow its course and the principle of innocence until proven guilty is one he deeply respects, he has also come to recognize that public confidence is a vital element of governance.
“I believe his ability to effectively lead has been compromised in the eyes of many residents,” he said. “I step away hopeful that the Council will find a path forward that restores trust, maintains stability, and serves the long-term good of our community.”
In 2023, McLaughlin was elected to a three-year term with 836 votes, more than Town Council incumbents Mark Horvath at 623 votes and James Peters at 50 votes. Horvath resigned earlier this year, and Peters remains on the board.
Before his retirement, McLaughlin was the first executive director of the Southern Aroostook Development Corp., serving the community for 22 years in this role. He is presently the executive director of the Houlton High School Alumni Association.
A 24-page police affidavit the BDN obtained Monday recounts explicit details of the Sept. 12 incident alleging Clark repeatedly shoved a woman he had invited to his home with both hands backward off his porch and into the bushes. Additionally, the victim said that Clark threatened to ruin her and told her she would never get another job in town if she reported it, according to the affidavit.
In a Friday afternoon public statement, the Town Council formally stood by Clark.
“The Houlton Town Council acknowledges that the charges brought against our town
manager are a matter of serious concern,” Council Chair Jane Torres said in the statement. “However, these allegations are currently under the jurisdiction of the court system, and we honor their process to uphold truth and justice.”
According to Torres, the council believes everyone, including public officials, is entitled to the
presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. The council is committed to open and responsible governance, she said.
Clark’s bail was set at $1,000 cash, and as part of the conditions of his release Clark was ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim. He must report to the Aroostook County Community Corrections Program caseworker daily by phone and once a week in person. He is under a nightly 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew at his New Limerick home.
If convicted on the Class B felony victim tampering charge, Clark could serve up to 10 years in prison and pay a $20,000 fine.
A hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the Aroostook County Court in Houlton on Court Street.