The new interim town administrator of Cheshire, Massachusetts says he intends to prove that he should hold the job on a permanent basis.
Ed St. John has come to know Cheshire from a number of different vantage points. But since assuming his newest role of interim town administrator in December, he says no two days have been alike. Beyond the day-to-day tasks of handling of bills and invoices, St. John is compiling a town action list.
“Certainly working on projects as they come up, responding to needs of both the select board and citizens – residents that come into either selectmen’s meetings or happen to come into the town hall," St. John told WAMC. "Looking into other projects down the road. Recently we completed a master plan, and I was part of that committee as well.”
St. John, 37, grew up in Cheshire and returned to the town in 2007 after college.
“Worked as a general practitioner lawyer since then – mostly focusing on criminal defense work," said St. John. "Got into local government, if you will, by starting with the school committee in 2011. Right around the same time, I was elected moderator for the town of Cheshire as well, and in 2017 became a selectman.”
In 2018, St. John resigned that role to put himself in the running to replace then town administrator Mark Webber.
“In college I was a political science major, and actually got a certificate in public administration," he said. "And part of that certificate program was to actually do an internship in some level of government. And I chose to do local government – actually interned here in Cheshire for Mark Webber.”
When St. John stepped down from the select board to apply for the administrator position, the remaining two selectmen couldn’t decide on who to appoint for administrator. Also considered for the position were Marian Carr, of Sandisfield, and Tom Spiro, of Worthington. This prompted St. John to retract his application briefly in November. When the dust settled, St. John had won over his former select board colleagues.
“I had the interview November 1st, and waited patiently," he told WAMC. Was very happy to see the board choose me – and like I said, very grateful that they made that selection. Looking to work hard and show them that I was the right decision.”
St. John wants to expand the town’s profile in Berkshire County – but also, he wants to leverage its environmental assets on a statewide level. Cheshire, an Appalachian Trail Community, sits on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail north of Lanesborough, directly above the Cheshire Reservoir in the foothills of the state’s tallest mountain, Mount Greylock.
“The environment and our natural resources have been and continue to be a huge asset to the town – and that’s something I’m looking to capitalize on and further expand into other facets of life," said St. John. "We have a restaurant right near the lake and right near an intersection of the trail. There’s other things that I think that we can do to work with the state, with DCR, with the trail, work locally with the lake, with the Appalachian Trail Community, and make this a more vibrant and attractive town.”
The town administrator’s job was recently expanded to a $40,000 a year, three day a week position – one that St. John says will allow him to do even more for the town than in his previous capacity as a selectman.
“This is a town that means so much to me. I grew up in this town, the town has given me so much. My very first job was here in town, mowing lawns at the cemetery. So this is a town that really means a lot to me. My wife and I chose to stay here to raise a family, and this is a town that I want to give back to a lot. So, hopefully I can be in this role for a long time moving forward," he told WAMC. "This is a dream for me.”
St. John says for now, he’s working on the town’s 2020 budget. His interim position ends in April. Then, the select board will decide on whether to offer a full three-year appointment to St. John.
