Outgoing Kittery town manager Jonathan Carter is returning to the same position in Wells, where he has 16 years experience on the job. He has been working in his hometown of Kittery, Maine, for the last six years.

During his time in Kittery, Carter has been outspoken in his support of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, as well as maintaining the three bridges that cross the Piscataqua River. At the beginning of his tenure, the shipyard was in danger of closing but did not. Toward the end, the Memorial Bridge closed for replacement.

Both situations posed threats to local livelihoods and the economy. Carter said working closely helped bring the Kittery and Portsmouth communities together.  

“If I’m going to make a move, this is the time,” he said.

He said Kittery is moving forward and is about to start work on $8 million worth of town projects, including a new community center, traffic circle improvements, and replacing the pier at Pepperrell Cove. He’s also proud of recent upgrades to the computer system in the Kittery town offices and financial consolidation of the town and school district, a work in progress.

Carter said the change from Wells to Kittery was good for his family at the time because he was able to work in the community where his children were attending high school. But he looks forward to returning to the town where he spent 16 years as manager.

The Board of Selectmen in Wells has projects in the pipeline, as well, and some will be challenging to deal with, he said. There are frequent battles that need to be resolved between the Wells and the Ogunquit school systems, and there is always scarce funding for road maintenance. Carter said Wells is larger than Kittery, both geographically and in terms of population, at least during vacation season.

Carter leaves his Kittery post on Sept. 23.