Milford's new mayor takes office Monday night.
City Councilman Bryan Shupe takes the oath of office at Milford City Council Chambers at 7pm. The 29-year old is the youngest mayor in Milford history.
The Milford native has opened two businesses in the town; the hyperlocal media outlet Milford Live and Fur-Baby Boutique & Doggie Daycare in downtown Milford. He says his experience with MilfordLive.com website makes him uniquely suited for the job as Milford’s mayor.
"Through our newspaper and our media business I’ve really had the opportunity to talk with so many different individuals, whether they’ve lived here for seven generations or just got here last week," said Shupe. "I think understanding the different types of people and different types of organizations in Milford really allows me to understand what people in Milford are looking for as far as the future."
The mayor-elect adds his priorities will reflect what Milford residents are telling him.
"What I’ve heard from them is that they’re looking for economic development, they’re looking for a strong downtown and they’re also looking to developing future leaders," said Shupe.
Specifically, Shupe says he'll focus on rehabilitating housing in Milford and encouraging employers to bring more middle-class jobs to the area.
Shupe won the town’s mayoral election earlier this month with 65 percent of the 948 votes cast. He replaces the retiring Joseph Rogers, who was first elected mayor in 1982. Rogers served until losing the post to Daniel Marabello in 2008, then regained the office two years later in 2010.
Since Shupe left his Council set to become mayor, a special election will be held June 14th to fill his seat on City Council.