St. Johnsbury has picked their interim manager

For twenty years St. Johnsbury has been run by town manager Mike Welch. He has done every job big or small to help any way he could.

Welch has decided to resign and now St. Johnsbury has large shoes to fill. The selectmen have chosen Jim Fitzgerald a former mayor of St. Albans and was the town manager for Milton in 1992. Fitzgerald will hold the position for three to five months until a permanent manager is found. Some residents are sad to see Welch go but Fitzgerald is up for the challenge. Owner of St. Jay Hardware, John Gebbie, is glad Welch will still help out with St. Johnsbury.

"Mike's a resident of St. Johnsbury, great guy he's the town manager and he's helped so much in town we'll miss him for sure but he'll still be a resident here so he'll still be here to help us in other capacities."

Interim Town Manager, Jim Fitzgerald, feels his experience was key to getting this job.

"I think it's valuable to both parties that I have sat on both sides of the table if you will. I've been a uh a manager working for a board I've sat on boards for managers working for me as one person of the board and so I think I bring the experience."

Fitzgerald will work along side Welch to get a feel for the job before he leaves May 7^th.