CLAREMONT — The City Council voted 9-0 Wednesday to hire Nancy Bates as the new city manager, Mayor Dale Girard said Thursday morning.
Bates has served as the city’s acting manager since July.
“We have been very happy with how Nancy has worked with department heads and handled projects for the city,” Girard said.
She was the city’s finance director when she was appointed co-interim city manager with Police Chief Brent Wilmot in April shortly after the council fired Yoshi Manale. The council hired Manale in October 2022 and he was earning $147,000 when he was terminated.
In the past decade, the city has struggled to find someone to hold the post long term.
Bates will earn $152,000 a year starting Jan. 1, according to her contract, which has no fixed length. She is the fourth city manager since Guy Santagate retired in 2016 after 15 years as the city’s top administrator.
The position is worth a change of address to Bates. Though she has lived in Wilmot, N.H., she signed a lease to move to the city, Girard said. The city charter requires the manager to live in Claremont. Voters defeated a proposed amendment to the charter removing the residency requirement at the polls in November.
“I’m excited. I do believe Claremont is a very special place,” Bates said in a phone interview Thursday. “I have a great group of directors here.”
Some of her goals include improving communication with residents and completing a Riverwalk off North Street, which involves redevelopment of an industrial site along the Sugar River below the visitors center, she said.
“I know there has been negative publicity with the schools, but there is there is a lot of great stuff happening here.”