Interim Town Manager John MacLean comes to Jaffrey during a busy time of year: budget season.
While assembling and refining budgets is certainly a challenge for any town, MacLean hopes to use his 46 years of experience in local government to help Jaffrey through its transitional period.
“[While I’m here,] my real job is to help further the goals of the Select Board and the town’s staff for the betterment of the community,” said MacLean. “This isn’t about me; it’s about the town of Jaffrey.”
MacLean, who worked as Keene’s city manager from August 1995 to October 2015, comes to Jaffrey as a contracted employee through Municipal Resources Inc., the company that is helping Jaffrey find its next town manager.
The town, in partnership with MRI, is currently paring down 50 applicants to a few finalists through essay questions, background checks and interviews.
MacLean will serve until departed manager Dave Caron’s replacement is found, which the Select Board hopes will be before Town Meeting in March.
Knowing his time is short in town, MacLean said he wants to do what he can to help the town’s employees and the community, and he will use his previous job experience as a baseline to build upon.
“What is new [for this job] is learning the nuances of the community,” said MacLean, who is also currently contracted through MRI to serve as interim DPW director in Hancock. “Local government is my passion; it’s where the rubber meets the road.”
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.