Fire Chief John Mauro Jr. will wrap up his 38-year tenure with the Southborough Fire Department in just over a week, as the Board of Selectmen last night accepted his letter of resignation effective September 18.
Mauro announced his intention to retire back in January. With the search for a new fire chief still underway, selectmen last month asked Mauro if he would consider delaying his retirement.
“He seriously considered it and would like to have helped out, but at this point he was unable to commit to that,” Selectman Bill Boland said.
Russ Millholland, a member of both the Personnel Board and the Fire Chief Search Committee, told selectmen last night that a new chief will likely not be hired until October at the earliest.
“I’d like to think it would be October, but if I had to put money on it, it would be November,” Millholland said.
Boland said selectmen are considering alternatives for filling the leadership gap until a new chief is in place. The board is next scheduled to meet on September 20, but could decide to call a meeting to vote on options before Mauro’s September 18 retirement date.
Millholland said 58 candidates have applied for the fire chief position.
You are awesome Pudge! Thanks so much for all you have done for this town. You will surely be missed by many.
I couldn’t agree more!
Chief, I hope there’s occasion for the Southborough community to come together and thank you for your many years of superb service to the town. Enjoy your retirement, which I trust will be full of things you love to do coupled with lucrative consulting gigs… ;-)