ROCKY HILL - When Guy Scaife heads to Meriden in September, town Finance Director John Mehr will become the interim Town Manager-a role he filled two years ago after the retirement of 40-year veteran Barbara Gilbert.
The Town Council voted unanimously to approve Mehr’s appointment-recommended by Scaife himself-at its August 15 regular meeting.
â€"John Mehr is the obvious choice for interim Town Manager,†Scaife wrote in an email response the next day. â€"He has successfully done it before and he is by far the most knowledgeable of all existing activities and efforts currently underway.â€
Mehr said that Scaife had approached him about filling the role, but that he did not know how the Council vote would go.
â€"Nothing’s a hundred percent until they pass the resolution, but I had a good feeling,†Mehr said over the phone the next day.
The last time he did this, Scaife was hired within two and a half months after Gilbert’s departure. He may fill the position-while doubling in his current Finance Director role-for a longer period of time, as the Council has talked about recruiting a search firm to assist with the process of finding a new town manager.
Mehr said that he hasn’t decided yet if he wants his name to be in the running for the permanent role.
â€"I think I’ll take it one step at a time,†he said.
Mehr has been a Rocky Hill employee for almost 18 years.
â€"Over the years I’ve been exposed to a lot of situations, and that should help me out,†he said. â€"We have also have a good senior staff.â€
As for Scaife, Mehr spoke highly of him, pointing to the town’s improved technology infrastructure, a successful referendum for a new police dispatch center, and aesthetic upgrades to the Town Hall campus.
â€"He did quite a bit, considering the short time he’s been here,†Mehr said.