The original “Local Government In Maine” was published in 1979. Kenneth Roberts, a staff writer for Maine Municipal Association (MMA) at the time, was the principal author; however, several other individuals contributed to the editing and research of the publication. Tim Sample, the noted Maine humorist and a talented illustrator, did the artwork for the original book.
The 2005 edition of “Local Government in Maine” was truly a collaborative effort. The original book has been sorely out-of-date for a number of years. Revising the book was something that typically was put on the “when we’ve got time” workplan. As we turned the corner on the 21st Century, the Communications staff at MMA decided to get more serious about updating the book.
Professor G. Thomas Taylor, chairman of the Public Administration Department at the University of Maine at Orono, was contacted a few years ago to see if the University could help with the rewrite. Professor Taylor and graduate research assistant, David Kinney, now the town administrator in Lincolnville, took the original edition of the book and came up with our first draft of the revised book.
In early 2005, MMA’s Communications department set a goal of publishing the book before the end of the year. Douglas Rooks, a freelance writer and regular contributor to the Maine Townsman, was hired to rework the draft done by the University folks. He edited and contributed additional material to the draft.
Geoff Herman, MMA’s retired Director of State & Federal Relations, and Eric Conrad did some final editing and proofing. MMA former Graphic Designer Jaime Clark and Eric did the design and layout in 2016.
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