Fred Allyn III sworn is as Ledyard's interim mayor
Ledyard — Standing before a crowd of town employees, councilors and outgoing Mayor Michael Finkelstein, Fred Allyn III took the oath of office Monday morning to become the town's interim mayor.
"While it is going to be a challenge with the state budget ... I can tell the town is headed in the right direction," he said to an audience, which included his wife Jami and his children.
He told the crowd that other towns were following Ledyard's lead and praised the town government's lean and efficient workforce.
Allyn takes over for Finkelstein, who celebrated his last day on the job Friday. Finkelstein will become East Lyme's first chief of police as the town transitions away from the resident state trooper program to an independent police force.
"We've had a very smooth transition ... and by the number of people here everyone believes he's going to do an outstanding job," Finkelstein said about Allyn.
With Allyn leaving the town council, Councilor William Saums will take over as chairman of the Finance Committee, and councilor Kevin Dombrowski will join the committee.
Town Council Chairwoman Linda Davis said last week that the Republican Town Committee was not ready to make an endorsement to fill Allyn's seat, but one should come soon. The Town Council ultimately will vote on an appointment.
Allyn is the broker-owner of Allyn Associates Realtors, and the son of former Mayor Fred Allyn Jr., who was also present at the ceremony. Allyn Jr. served as mayor from 2007 to 2011.
"Our family likes it here," he said, joking that he was the town's first councilor to be appointed to the town council, as he was in 2012, and then to mayor.
In an interview in the mayor's office, Allyn III said he had a number of tasks he hoped to address soon, including continuing talks with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal nation about repairs to the Shewville Brook Bridge and contining negotiations with a party interested in potentially purchasing the former police station on Lorenz Parkway.
His to-do list also included putting the former Gales Ferry Landing property on the market to be sold, as he did Monday morning.
"I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running," he said.
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