File: Courtney Lamdin ©️ Seven Days
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad
Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak will reappoint Police Chief Jon Murad for another yearlong term, ending months of speculation that the newly elected mayor may move on from the city's top cop.
The mayor announced her decision on Thursday in a
memo to city councilors ahead of their meeting next week. She'll also reappoint about a dozen other department heads for terms that begin July 1.
"I look forward to working with this group of thoughtful, dedicated public servants over the next year to address the challenges and opportunities we face as a modern and growing City," her memo says.
Mulvaney-Stanak wasn't immediately available for comment. Murad, in an emailed statement on Thursday, said he feels "tremendously privileged" to continue serving.
"I’m very grateful to the Mayor for the opportunity to be part of the reflective, collaborative administration she has put together to take the city forward," he wrote.
Until Thursday, Murad's fate had been uncertain under a Mulvaney-Stanak administration. During the campaign, the Progressive pol didn't commit to keeping Murad on — a
stark difference from her Democratic opponent, City Councilor Joan Shannon (D-South District). Mulvaney-Stanak expressed wariness about the chief, saying she found him to be professional but "rigid" in his opinions.
"Any leader who comes in with that kind of attitude is probably not going to be a team player that I will need to help lead the city forward," she told
Seven Days at the time.
Mulvaney-Stanak's fellow Progs have been similarly skeptical of Murad, having
blocked his promotion from acting to permanent chief in 2022. Now, with a Democrat-controlled council and the city's top Prog on board, Murad will likely sail through the body's confirmation vote on Monday, June 3.
Burlington Electric Department general manager Darren Springer is also being reappointed, despite his and Mulvaney-Stanak's differing philosophies on the McNeil Generating Station, the city's biomass plant. Springer defends the facility, while Mulvaney-Stanak eventually wants to close it over concerns about carbon emissions.
The mayor still has some vacancies to fill. Kerin Durfee and Meagan Tuttle, directors of the city's human resources and planning departments, respectively, are stepping down at the end of June. And the city attorney position has been vacant for two years, though the mayor hopes to present councilors with candidates "in the very near future," her memo says.
The city's office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, however, will go without a permanent leader. Former director Kim Carson, who had been on medical leave, resigned earlier this month to take a position in North Carolina.
Facing a $13.1 million budget gap, Mulvaney-Stanak will leave the $131,624 position vacant and instead appoint an interim director for fiscal year 2025.