Lisa Heavner knows that she has big shoes to fill when she takes over as Simsbury’s First Selectman next month.
“I’ve known Mary (Glassman) for six years and everyone loves her,” she said during an interview Tuesday.
Heavner was nominated by the Democratic Town Committee to replace Glassman after she announced her resignation last week.
Two weeks ago, the Republican-controlled Board of Selectmen voted to cut the First Selectman’s salary from $113,000 to $75,000 due to changes in the job’s responsibilities.
Glassman announced her resignation the next week which led to an outpouring of support for Glassman and an enraged town who’d grown to appreciate Glassman during her sixteen years of service to the town.
"The harm that you have wrought is beyond my comprehension,” one resident said during a packed
Board of Selectmen meeting at the Simsbury public library last night.
During that meeting the board acknowledged the resignation of Glassman and approved Heavner as the next First Selectman, to begin her term next month.
The board also reversed its decision to cut the pay of the First Selectman which mean Heavner will earn the same $113,000 during her year on the job.
Heavner says her main job is to rebuild the relationship that town government has with residents.
“Priority number one is rebuilding trust with the people of this town” Heavner said. She added that she doesn’t have any concerns that the board may try a similar move while she’s in office to cut her salary.
"My job is to continue doing the town's business. That's what we were elected to do. That's what my colleagues were elected to do and that's what we will do."
