HOULTON, Maine — A town manager’s arraignment has been set for next year.
Houlton Town Manager Cameron Clark will appear in court on domestic violence assault and felony victim tampering charges at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 3, according to the Aroostook County court clerk.
Clark was first ordered in his bail documents to appear in court on Oct. 7. The new 2026 hearing date effectively gives him more time on the job before town councilors make any decisions regarding his employment.
Councilors have maintained that Clark is innocent until proven guilty and that his criminal charges have no bearing on his ability to do his job, a stance that has outraged residents and pushed two councilors to resign.
Last Thursday they confirmed their position in a special council meeting with Clark and the town attorney.
The only way Clark’s arraignment would be moved up is if an indictment is filed early, court clerk Diane Glidden said.
Clark was arrested and jailed Sept. 25 by Aroostook County sheriff’s deputies on domestic violence assault and felony victim tampering charges. He was released from the Aroostook County Jail later that day after posting $1,000 cash bail.
Despite his arrest and public calls for the Town Council to place him on administrative leave, Clark continues to handle the business affairs — overseeing municipal employees and managing a $14.7 million budget — for this Aroostook County town of about 6,000.
Aroostook County District Attorney Todd Collins was at a trial and was not immediately available for comment regarding the reason for the delay.
The council’s lack of action pushed councilors Jon McLaughlin and Alexis Brown to resign last week, citing moral and ethical concerns. Their departure leaves the town with only four councilors and the chairperson, just enough for a quorum, according to the town charter.
“I believe his ability to effectively lead has been compromised in the eyes of many residents,” McLaughlin said in his resignation letter. “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.”
The escalating public fallout since Clark’s arrest prompted a group of registered voters on Monday to take matters into their own hands, initiating a process that would allow residents to oust councilors from office.
An eight-member committee gave written notice to Town Clerk Khylee Wampler that they will propose an ordinance for the recall of elected officials in Houlton.
“The challenge right now is there is just no way for the town’s citizens to stop this idiocy,” said resident Mark Lipscombe, who spearheaded the move.
Under Maine law, a town may enact an ordinance for the recall of elected municipal officials except for school board members.
According to the proposed ordinance, registered voters could unseat elected town officials for several reasons, including indictment or conviction of felony crimes.
Clark, appointed town manager in April after serving in an interim capacity since February, is president of K&E Holdings Inc., a residential rental and self-storage business; he also owns Cam’s Lawn Care in town.
According to 2025 tax records, K&E Holdings owns 16 Houlton properties, and in 2023 testimony before the Maine legislative committee on housing, Clark said that he owned 40 market-rate units in Houlton across 12 buildings and had a housing waiting list of more than 100.
Clark’s public role and business connections in town kept the victim from reporting the alleged Sept. 12 domestic violence assault because he allegedly threatened to ruin her if she told police, according to a 24-page affidavit obtained by the Bangor Daily News.
The charges against Clark did not originate from the female victim Clark had invited into his home because she feared that, as town manager, he would ruin her reputation and prevent her from employment in the town, the police report said.
Houlton police received an anonymous complaint from a caller who said the town manager had pushed a woman down the stairs when she confronted him about cheating with a married woman.
Houlton Police Capt. Jasmine Cyr told deputies that the caller said Clark threatened to make sure the woman did not get a job she had recently applied for and that she would never work at another job in the town of Houlton if she reported the alleged assault. If she did report it, he would claim the whole thing was self-defense, according to the affidavit.
Under the conditions of his release, Clark must report to the Aroostook County Community Corrections Program caseworker daily by phone and once a week in person. He has a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew at his New Limerick home and must tell law enforcement that he is currently under corrections program supervision if he is stopped for any reason.
His bail can be revoked or additional charges added if he does not comply with the mandated conditions, according to the court.