Stockton Springs has appointed another interim town manager to lead the community until someone can be appointed to the role permanently, after Mac Smith was fired from the job on Dec. 30, 2024.
On Jan. 29, John Bellino of Richmond became the interim town manager after the Select Board appointed him about two weeks earlier.
The Select Board had initially appointed Loren Cole as a temporary town manager following Smith’s termination, but that was just a stopgap measure until a longer-term interim could be appointed. His weekly salary will amount to $1,280, for the 32 hours a week that the town office is open.
Bellino previously served as a town manager in the Kennebec County town of Clinton from 2022 to 2024. He has also previously served as fire chief in Richmond.
The town is now hiring for a permanent town manager, with the application window open until Feb. 21.
During his first 10 days in office, Bellino has initiated the local budget process, with a focus on the purchase of a new ambulance that the town hopes to complete by mid-spring, he said.