CLAREMONT – The city council has voted to hire former Claremont Fire Chief Rick Bergeron as the interim city manager.
Bergeron will begin his duties when City Manager Nancy Bates ends her tenure on July 24th.
The council said in a news release that Bergeron served Claremont for 40 years. During that time Bergeron took on the role of acting city manager when needed, “providing steady leadership and continuity for the organization,” the release said. Bergeron retired as fire chief in 2017.
“His experience, professionalism, and deep understanding of our community make him exceptionally well-qualified to serve as interim city manager,” the council said.
Bergeron will be paid $1,800 a week, Mayor Dale Girard said Wednesday.
Bates resigned in early June, after serving as the permanent city manager for about six months. She was given the position as interim seven months prior to that after the council fired Yoshi Manale in April 2025.
Meanwhile, the council has signed an agreement with Municipal Resources Inc., of Bedford, N.H., to assist in its search for a new city manager at a rate of $105 an hour. Girard said MRI has begun interviewing department heads in the city and will also speak with the nine councilors as part of the initial stages of the search process.
The first step, according to the contract signed July 8th, will be to develop a “community and candidate profile” that will also allow for community input. Once completed, the profile will be posted on MRI’s recruitment website and a timeline for the recruitment process will be established. MRI said it will likely allow 30 days for resumes to be received.
