So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

The title of this week’s blog post comes from writer Douglas Adams and his series of books in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy anthology.

I thought it was an apt title for a column about Bobby Mills’ quite sudden and rather mystifying resignation from the Biddeford City Council on Tuesday afternoon. Mills will also resign his current position as York County Treasurer, effective April 15.

In response to a phone call, Mills sent me a curt text message saying he was resigning his public offices (yes, plural) for “personal reasons.”

I have been covering Bob Mills’ political career for nearly 15 years. It’s been quite a ride.

In all honesty, I think I have sometimes gone a bit overboard when critiquing Mills’ service on the city council. I routinely criticized him for bloviating during council meetings and for his incessant self-promotion. In summary, I think I have been just a bit too harsh on Councilor Mills and his service to the people he represents.

I once told a friend that only Bob Mills was able to miraculously outpace both Marty Grohman and Justin Chenette when it comes to seizing almost every opportunity to win public office.

Mills was first elected to the city council in 2007. He once fended off a five-way challenge for his seat. He also unsuccessfully ran against fellow Democrat Megan Rochelo for her seat in the Maine House of Representatives.

But something strange has happened in the last couple of years. Mills has become a lot more measured, a lot more thoughtful and a lot more professional. In all honesty, he does take his take his service to the community very seriously.

One of his fellow councilors described Mills as “tenacious and 110 percent dedicated” to his constituents and the city as a whole.

Serving on the city council is a thankless job. It is time consuming and offers a monthly stipend of less than $100, working out to about $1.15 an hour, considering the time needed to review documents, constituent service, attend workshops, special meetings and regular meetings of the council.

I also have a lot of respect for Mills because of his ability to accept criticism from blowhards like me without ever making things personal. We may never be close friends but Mills always — always — treated me with respect, courtesy and professionalism. He always returned my calls; always treated me fairly. In retrospect, maybe he was the bigger and better man than me.

It’s quite easy for people like me to sit back and publicly criticize politicians, but it’s not so easy to endure those criticisms when you’re sitting on the other side of the fence.

Because Mills has served fewer than 180 days since his last election, the city will need to hold a special election to fill the now vacant Ward Four seat on the city council.

I am sure that the city will find a decent and honorable person to fill the vacancy, but speaking just for me, I will honestly miss Bob Mills and his presence on the council.

Appearing before 100 reporters at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 1962, former president Richard Nixon lashed out at the media, following his bitter loss in the California gubernatorial election.

“You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore,” Nixon told the press corps. “because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.”

Well, it looks like this is my last bog post about Bobby Mills. Good luck, sir and my sincere thanks for your long tenure of service to our community. I will miss you.

Thanks for all the fish.

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